It's All About The Chase
by siriusly klutzy
Summary: Just a day out of Hogwarts, Katie gets a job working for Fred and George Weasley at their joke shop and her sister gets her tickets to her Quidditch match. Katie always thought that Hogwarts held the drama, but she was going to have one helluva summer.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: If you think I own it you're mental. It belongs to the ever-famous Jo Rowling. 

**Summary: **Just a day out of Hogwarts, Katie gets a job working for Fred and George Weasley at their joke shop and her sister gets her tickets to her Quidditch match where she gets reunited with her old Quidditch captain, Oliver Wood. She always thought that the Hogwarts years brought the most drama, but this was going to be one helluva summer.

It's All About the Chase 

Fresh out of Hogwarts and I didn't know where to go. I got out of my parent's car, pulled my trunk out of the back of the car, and slowly dragged it up to my room. My sister, Amy, picked me up from Platform 9 and ¾ but once we got home, she raced inside. There was an owl waiting for her on the kitchen table from her Coach. She played professional Quidditch for the Bigonville Bombers. They were a pretty good team with a strong offense, so they scored a lot. Their defense was kind of weak, though. But their Seeker, my sister, was incredible. She had a match next week that she got me a ticket for as a Welcome Home gift, not that it was hard seeing as she was on the team and all.

"Everything alright, Amy?" I called from the top of the stairs. I heard the shuffling of papers and quick footsteps before a tinkering of what I was assuming were sickles. "Aim?"

"Sorry, Katie," she said as she ran across the bottom of the stairs. "I've got to go. Coach just called a mandatory practice because of that match. You're still coming, right?" We were close. Me missing my sister's match was like her losing a lung.

"Right." I ran down the stairs and followed her around while she picked up her random Quidditch robes from the living room floor. Although she was twenty-three, she still lived with us because her life was so on the go from her matches and practices and meetings and everything. It had always been Amy's dream to play Quidditch from the time she saw her first broomstick, all the way through her years as a Hufflepuff at Hogwarts. She wasn't discouraged in the least when she tried out in her seventh year as a Seeker and got replaced by the third year, Cedric Diggory. They put her on as a reserve because she was good, but Cedric was smaller, speedier.

"Can you tell Mum I had practice? We were supposed to take you out to dinner tonight. She'll have a fit, but Coach said that if I didn't make it to this practice in ten minutes I would be suspended from the team." She was hopping around holding her broom and trying to put her shoe on. Her chestnut brown hair was falling out of its ponytail and wisps of it were in her face.

"No problem," I managed to say before she picked up the last of her stuff, put it in a bag, grinned, and then apparated. After about ten seconds of standing there, I went back up to my room to unpack. In the process of unpacking, I found an Extendable Ear under my History of Magic book, which I chucked across the room into my closet. The Extendable Ear gave me an idea.

I pulled my wand out of my trunk and apparated into the Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes. I saw a mass of little kids looking at a new display in the window and a magenta haired girl, around twenty-one I'm guessing, trying to calm them down.

Behind the counter was my good friend, Fred Weasley. He was talking to what looked like an eleven year old, about something. She was nodding her head eagerly, hanging onto his every word. For about a minute, I debated on going to find George, who was working in the back, but then I heard, "Oy! Katie! Come here!"

I looked up at him and grinned and rushed over to the counter. He engulfed me in a huge hug after not seeing me for over a year.

"Katie…ha-have you _grown_?" Fred asked, holding me out at arms length. I nodded eagerly. I was now five feet, four inches. He laughed. "What can I get for you these days?" He winked.

"Sicko. Actually," I grinned. His face went into shock for a moment before I continued. "I was wondering if I could get a job here. I mean, I know there's already you and George and I don't know what her name is but she has magenta hair-""-Chloe-" "-Chloe, thank you, but I really need the job."

"You're begging for a job on the first day of your adult life? Haven't I taught you anything?" Fred asked.

"Time is galleons? And you're wasting my time which could be wasting my galleons." I couldn't help but grin. Before he could answer, George attacked me from behind. He spun me around to face him.

"Katie Bell! Wait… did you get taller?" he asked with a mischievous grin. "How have you been?" He messed up my hair.

"Alright," I said, hugging him back.

"Katie wants a job here," Fred explained. He and George had matching smirks, both of them staring me down. It was honestly kind of creepy.

"Really?" George asked, not removing his gaze. "So we'd be her bosses? Interesting."

"Don't play the creepy card, Weasley's. I can still kick your ass. Can I _please _have a job?" I begged. I was looking up at them, my brown eyes wide and innocent.

"It could be interesting," Fred said, turning to George. "I mean, she already knows how most of our products work, being a tester herself."

"We'd really just have to tell her the basics, and I'm sure Chloe would help with that," George agreed, both talking businesslike now.

"And we know she's honest, loyal, and decent."

"A bloody dog."

"Hey!"

"Meant in a good way, love."

I glared at the two, but they just looked at me, smiling.

"So Katie," Fred said. "How does it feel to have your first real job working for Weasley's?"

"Really?" I asked with a huge grin plastered on my face. They nodded and I wrapped my arms around both of their necks, pulling them into a hug.

"Come by later tonight and we'll teach you the ropes," George said slinging an arm around my shoulder.

"Alright. Thanks, you guys. I appreciate this, a lot, I really do. Hey, do you know if Alicia's working?" They both nodded. Alicia worked at the Ministry of Magic in the Department of International Magical Cooperation. She made sure we didn't go at war with other magical countries, pretty much. "I'm going to go down the road to visit Angelina. So I'll see you guys around six? Is that good?"

"Fantastic," Fred said grinning.

"Bye, Katie," George said.

Before I knew it, they were both hug attacking me again.

After peeling them off me, I walked down the street to Flourish and Blotts where Angelina was manager of the bookstore. I could see her in the window giving an old lady with graying hair and a rather large nose a book on potions. The lady walked out and I slid in past her.

"Angelina!" I squealed, running up to her counter this time. I embraced her in a hug.

"Katie! You're done with school! How were the NEWTs? Did they kill you? I thought I was going to die after I took mine. But you look relatively sane. No missing body parts at least," Angelina ranted. She grinned. "Do you remember when that Ravenclaws arm fell off from so much stress?"

I shook my head but it didn't wipe the grin off my face. "Hey, do you want to go out for lunch?"

"Awe, Katie, I honestly just ate. How about ice cream? I hear Florean's grandson just reopened his place. Just let me close up." She pulled her wand out of her pocket. It was a slow day in the shop so no one was in here. The blinds closed and the sign on her door flipped so that it read Closed. We walked out of the store after she grabbed her purse and sweater and locked up.

Once we got our ice cream (mine Chocolate, hers was Peanut Butter Crunch), we sat on a bench in front of Gringotts and ate our ice cream.

"So, I got a job," I said out of the blue after taking a mouthful of cold chocolate ice cream.

"Really?" Angelina asked. She spun towards me, coming out of the daze she was in. "Where?"

"Well, it's this really nice place down the road. I can't quite remember the name of it… but I think it started with… a W. Yes, that's it. A W." I grinned to myself and took another bite of my ice cream cone.

"Whizzhard Books?" Angelina asked, incredulous. "Katie, you're working at my competition?!"

"No, dork. I'm working with the Weasley's!" I said, laughing.

"Really? That's awesome! We'll be working so close! We can take out lunch breaks together. It'll be great!" Angelina started rambling again. After spending a good few hours talking about Hogwarts, work, and life, she had to get back to her shop to do some last minute stuff an I had to get to the Weasley's. It was five thirty.

"Hey guys, I'm back," I said as I walked into the now empty joke shop. "Fred? George?"

George popped out from behind a shelf holding love potions and not so sweet perfume. "Katie!" he said. "Can I tempt you with a love potion?"

I just laughed.

"Well, I'm here. What have I got to learn?"

Fred came out of the storage room and the two of them told me the basics.

No bargaining with anyone for any reason. If you catch someone trying to steal, jinx them. If they're under seven, jinx their parents. Muggle tricks were in the back corner while the flashy stuff took up the front window. If you see someone like their father, immediately point them to the Muggle tricks. I got decent pay and hours and it was an exciting job to have, especially right out of Hogwarts where they were drilling you to think you'd become a junior secretary to some stuffy person at the Ministry. But i was going to be working where the fun was.

I glanced at my watch and jumped at the time. It was six thirty. Mum got home from work at six and according to Amy, she was taking me out to dinner.

"Guys, I've got to go! Mum's home and she hasn't seen me yet," I said hurriedly, running to the counter to pick up my bag. "I'll see you bright and early tomorrow morning!" I ran over to give each of them a hug. Before they could get a word in, I disapparated with a loud _**Crack! **_

When I appeared in the living room my mum jumped with start. She still isn't used to the fact that I can apparate, or that I'll do it often.

"Oh, Katie! You're back! I've missed you!" she said after the color returned to her face. I don't get why this surprises her. She's been apparating herself for at least thirty years. Once she welcomed me her gaze turned dark and she half yelled, "Where have you been? I've been worried sick! You didn't leave a note or anything. Amy's not here. She couldn't tell me where you've been!"

"Well," I said sheepishly. "I got a job…" I grinned. "Oh, and Amy had a surprise practice tonight. She said she wouldn't be able to make it to dinner."

"She's not going to be able to come? Well, that's a shame." My mother was never very supportive of Amy's choice to play Quidditch instead of working at the Ministry or St. Mungos. "Where did you get a job?"

This is where it gets tricky. I know if I told Mum that I'm working for the Weasley twins in their _joke _shop my mother would have a heart attack on the spot. That would make it two daughters who didn't take, as she would call it, a "normal" life style. I bit my lip nervously. But if I lied and told her that I got a job at the Ministry, she would throw some sort of party and tell me to invite everyone at the office. Not only that but an eighteen year old girl getting a job at the Ministry of Magic the day she gets back from Hogwarts doesn't sound very likely. Not even in my own mind.

So I compromised.

"I got a job in a bookshop, working for Angelina. You remember Angelina, don't you? She's the tall one…" I bit my lip again, a habit I've had for years.

"Really?" She sounded pleased. That's a good sign. "That's great, Katie." Good thing she could never tell if I was lying. I got away with so much stuff when I was younger because of that trait. "So," she said with a smile. "Where do you want to go for dinner? I was thinking The Black Beetle?"

The Black Beetle was the newest restaurant/club and it was a big hit. It had one area for dancing and drinking and everything, but there was also a more remote area where girls could go with their mother's and have a nice dinner. As long as my mum doesn't get wine and doesn't decide that she wants to dance, we're good, and I'll go without embarrassment.

"The Black Beetle sounds great, Mum. Can I change first?" I was still in my Hogwarts skirt and white shirt. I didn't even think of changing earlier. Mum nodded and I raced up the stairs to put on a pair of jeans and a long sleeved black shirt. I kept my hair down and slipped on my sneakers before meeting my mum at the bottom of the stairs. She had her purse in her hand and we both apparated to the Black Beetle.

When we got there, there was a long line of people protruding out of the door. The sign we were near just at said, _Waiting time from this point is two hours._ I glanced at my mum to see if she wanted to leave, but she just pulled out a deck of cards and we played on the sidewalk. Mum would go through times where she would do things like play on the sidewalk and wait two hours in line and then the next day she would complain about the wait and say we should go somewhere and she would never consider sitting on the sidewalk to play cards. Dear Old Mum. She asked me how my school year was, after the necklace incident of course, and I replied with nothing fantastic. I told her how Amy got my tickets to her match next week. She just pursed her lips and nodded.

"That sounds fun," was all she said.

"Mum, Amy really loves playing Quidditch. You can't get mad at her for that. It's not as if it's not a well paying job. It's something she loves to do and she's not stuck in a stuffy office. Frankly, I'm jealous."

"Well, Katie, I personally think you're taking the more practical route with your life. Working at this bookshop is good life experience for you. And you've got Angelina to help you. Why, I wouldn't be surprised of you were out of the house by the end of the year."

Now, I was a bit shocked at this point. Is that why she was mad, well not mad exactly, more like disappointed, at Amy? Because she wasn't out of the house? She could leave any time she wants, but it would just be pointless to have a house or an apartment to pay for when you'd never be there.

"You _want _me to move out?" I asked, incredulous.

"No, no, it's just that you seem so much more mature than Amy. I want you to make something out of your life. I don't want you playing tricks forever. You've got a shot at something big. Remember your OWLs? Four Outstanding's you received! Amy got one Outstanding and a handful of Excelent's. You've got so much more to life for."

"Amy's dream has always been Quidditch. If I'm not mistaken, her first word was Snitch, was it not?"

"Well I-"

"Let it go, Mum," I said, standing up.

"Excuse me, ma'am. How many?"

Mum stood up to face the waiter who walked over. We hadn't even realized we were next in line. Two hours goes by fast when you're trying to convince your mother that Quidditch isn't pointless and your sister _is _making something out of her life.

The waiter seated us quietly and gave each of us menus. He came back a couple minutes after we silently looked at what we'd like to drink.

"What can I get you?" he asked. He was just a little flamboyant. I tried to keep a straight face as he popped his hip out to the side and rested his hand on it while he waited for us to say something.

"White wine," my mother said in almost a whisper. Wine? Oh dear.

"Firewhiskey," I said, trying not to make my giggling any louder than it should be.

"Katie!" my mother said, sending me a glare. "She'll have a butterbeer." I smirked at her.

"Coming right up," he said. He turned on his heel, put his hand back on his hip, and walked away to get our drinks.

Once he was out of earshot, I go, "Mum, he is totally _gay_!"

My mum's eyes went wide. "There's nothing wrong with that, Katie! Honestly."

"But it's so _obvious_. I wonder if he has a boyfriend…"

"Katherine!"

"What? Come on, Mum, you can't tell me you didn't notice!" I giggled again.

"Well, I guess he was a _little_… colorful."

"Colorful? Mum he was downright ostentatious!"

"Ostentatious?"

"You know, flamboyant?"

"Oh, Katie," Mum said, chuckling.

A few seconds later, the waiter appeared next to our table with our drinks. "So what can I get you ladies tonight?" He glanced over at the table next to us where two middle-aged men were eating dinner. Oh good God.

We quickly ordered our food and he walked away.

"Mum, he was completely checking those two guys behind you out!" I whispered, clamping a hand over my mouth.

"Was he really?" I nodded. "Oh gosh."

"I bet his boyfriend is jealous," I said after a moment of silence. "He's probably sitting at home with his fish, waiting for, lets call him John, John to get home. Maybe they've got big plans tonight. I wonder if they were going to go clubbing. Yeah, John's boyfriend isn't going to be happy at all."

"Katie! Stop that!" my mum hushed.

We kept giggling about that through dinner after he brought us our food. When he brought out the check, he handed it to my mum and slipped a piece of paper in my hand. Then he walked away.

On the piece of paper was a phone number and under the phone number, it said _Call me._

The second I read it I burst into laughter and dropped it. My mum picked it up and looked at what it said causing her to start laughing as well. We stood up, picking up our leftovers, and walked to the front counter.

Once we were safely out of the building and a far enough distance away that we could apparate, we started laughing again.

"So apparently he _wasn't _gay," I said.

"He thought you were cute."

"He probably thought that he could get laid, Mum."

"Katherine Bell! Language!"

"It's true, Mum. I mean, girls who go out to dinner with their mothers apparently are full of sex appeal."

"Katie, stop talking like that this instant!"

"I'm just speaking the truth."

When I woke up the next morning, my stomach was full of butterflies. It took me moment to remember why, but then I realized that I had to be to work, at my job... for the Weasley's. I should pray now.

I lazily rolled out of bed and glanced at the clock. It was six thirty. That gave me an hour and a half to get to work. After snoozing two more times, I managed to go take a shower and put on a nice pair of black pants and a scarlet t-shirt. I looked at my soaking wet hair in the mirror before deciding to dry it and throw it up in a messy ponytail.

An hour later when I walked down to the kitchen, Mum was sitting there with Amy eating breakfast.

"Katie, don't you look professional," Mum commented as I took the open seat next to Amy and grabbed a donut off of the plate in the middle of the table. I grinned up at my Mum who was positively beaming.

"How was practice, Aim?" I asked my sister. She was slumped over on the table, eyes closed and breathing steadily.

"Brutal," I managed to hear indistinctively. "He trained us four times harder because the original keeper of Puddlemere United hurt his ankle and they were bringing in the reserve for the next match. And coach is _always _going on about fresh meat." She sighed. "I can't move at _all _and I've got another practice in two hours. It might take me that long to get up to the top of the stairs."

"Awe, I'm sorry Aim," I said distracted. Puddlemere United. That sounded oddly familiar. I mean, of course I know it's a Quidditch team, a good one as well. But something about that name just seemed to click with something in my brain. "Do you want me to bring you something home later?" I think I saw a shake of her head. "Alright. Well, I'm off to work."

The thought of Puddlemere United slipped out of my mind as fast as it came. I apparated to my new job, I still can't get over that, and found Fred, George, and Chloe lounging in the middle of the shop eating what looked like Pumpkin Pasties and Ice Mice. Sugar buzz?

"Hey, guys," I said uncertainly as I walked through the door. "What…what are you doing?" I glanced down at the three of them who just grinned back up at me.

"Preparing for the long day ahead," Chloe said with a grin. "I'm Chloe." She held out a hand that wasn't covered in sugar from the Ice Mice. I gladly shook it.

"Katie."

"Welcome to the team," George said. He was leaning against a shelf of rubber chickens and his eyes were closed.

"It's almost time to open," Fred said after he glanced up at the Weird Sisters clock (it was a clock with the face of the lead singer of the Weird Sisters and he was sticking out his tongue) that they charmed to float around the room. A small little man with tattered hair and dark green robes to match stepped out of the clock onto the Weird Sisters tongue and said, "You bet it is, punk." A second one followed and said, "He has time. Look up, dumbass." The first one punched the second one in the jaw. Once the second one regained his composure, he attacked the first one and bit his shoulder. They fought around before being pulled back into the face of the Weird Sister because they were wrestling on its tongue.

The three of them slowly got up and straightened out their robes. George charmed the food to the back of the shop to be finished up while we were working. They will be good bosses. I don't think they'd ever fire anyone.

"Ready for your first day, Katie?" Chloe asked as she took her place behind the counter. I joined her.

"I guess," I said with a shrug.

"Now the first customers are normally people who have a birthday party to get to and needed something quick," Chloe explained as Fred was turning the sign from Closed to Open and a tall brown haired woman walked in with a four year old clutching her hand. "I'm guessing it's that kids first real birthday party he's going to. They'll probably go for some muggle tricks." As she said that, realization dawned on the woman's face and she tugged on the little boys hand, pulling him over to the muggle tricks.

"Nice," I said impressed.

A couple more people strayed in.

"They're probably just looking for something to do before their job actually starts. We get a lot of those."

After the first hour, I learned about every type of person who went through the store. Not about them, personally, but most likely the reasons why they were here so early.

The next hour in, a little girl came in with a scraped knee because she fell outside while her mother was talking. I walked over to one of the shelves, opened up a box of Do It Our Self band-aids and put one on her knee. It instantly materialized into her skin. She looked up at me in shock, and I'm pretty sure my face matched hers. But the skin that was scraped was now perfectly fine. She grinned, gave me a hug, three sickles, and went to go show her mother. I must say, I was quite proud of myself.

Around eleven, a couple of twelve-year-old girls walked in and immediately went to the Love Potions. I had to monitor them while Chloe was helping an old lady, explaining what the rubber chicken actually did. Fred was at the register and George was in the back checking the orders from their catalog.

"Do you think Ricky would take this if I put it in his lemonade?" the petite blond one asked her friend.

"Ohhh," she said, looking at the box. It had a big red heart on it, and clear as day in big black letters, _Can Only Be Bought if Sixteen or Older._

"Excuse me," I said as politely as possible after I walked up to them. "But, you have to be sixteen to buy that." I smiled at them.

"Says who?" the blond one asked me with a grin.

"Says the owners of this place," I said with just as much attitude.

"Puh-lease," the other girl said. They remind me so much of the preteens I had to deal with at Hogwarts. Actually, they are preteens, so I guess that's why they're so annoying.

"Did you see the box?" I asked.

"Yes."

"Well?"

"She's sixteen," the blond said, pointing to her friend.

"She is _not _sixteen," I said, crossing my arms.

"How do you know?" the 'sixteen year old' girl said to me.

"Do you have any ID?" I asked smugly.

"Well, no but that doesn't mean I'm not sixteen," the girl said defensively.

"Really? What'd you get on your OWLs in fourth year?" I asked with a grin, knowing very well that you take OWLs in fifth.

"O's in every subject."

Her friend kicked her leg. "That's fifth year you dolt!" The girl realized the mistake she mad and put the potion back on the shelf She walked out of the shop with her head down, arguing with her friend.

"What was that about?" Chloe said, appearing behind me. She was wiping some goo off of her hands. I raised an eyebrow at her. "Exploding mince pies." I nodded.

"These two girls, they had to be twelve by the looks of it, came in here and tried to buy love potions," I explained as I went into OCD mode and put the boxes in perfectly straight lines.

"Oh yeah, we get that a lot. Bloody kids don't know what real love is, especially if they buy it from Fred and George," Chloe said. After a second, a sly grin appeared on her face. I realized what she was getting at.

"Did you just call those two prostitutes?!" I asked in shock.

She nodded, stilling grinning.

"So _that's _where they get all the gold from!" I exclaimed causing both of us to erupt in a fit of giggles.

"What's so funny?" George appeared behind us causing us to giggle some more.

"Well we're just laughing at the fact that we do all the work around here," I laughed as I said the first excuse that came to mind, which incidentally caused us to laugh even more.

"Hey!" George protested. "We've got loads of work in the back." Chloe and I burst into more laughter. "What's so funny?"

"Yeah, Katie. That's where all the gold is made," Chloe sniggered. My face turned red, as I laughed harder.

"Well, no, you guys do a lot of work, too," George said, confused. Chloe and me just kept laughing.

"Not as much as you and Fred do," I said, gasping for breath.

A/N: All right, my lovely readers. I hope you liked Chapter One. There's plenty more where that came from, and trust me on this one because I've got it planned to Chapter twelve right now and Chapter two is pretty much done. So stick around, it's going to be crazy. I pinkie promise. Remember, this was just a starter chapter. It'll get better, I swear. Now, review like you mean it!

**Thanks guys.**

**Siriusly Klutzy**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two 

After a week of working there, I began to fall into routine. Sure, I didn't like getting up early in the morning to go serve little kids, but I did love being surrounded by laughing people and working with Fred and George, who eventually caught on to the prostitute jokes. They went along with it. Many mothers who came into the store disapproved when Fred would yell, or more so groan, out that he was working _real _hard in the back.

It was the day before my sister's Quidditch match and she was as nervous as ever. Her coach had them working twice as long and twice as hard. Their beaters have gotten so good at hitting their targets that Amy has at least four bruises on her back and one huge one on her leg. It was really creepy. My mum had a fit when she saw. She immediately demanded that Amy go to St. Mungos but she refused, claiming that they were just bruises and that they would heal quickly. So instead, she asked me to bring a book home from the bookshop on different types of bruises so Amy could see what would happen. I had to stop over at Angelina's to pick up a book before I got home. I also used my employee discount and brought some cream from the joke shop. It was an antidote for bruises from things like their punching telescopes and cameras. George said it worked on all bruises that they knew of.

"Thanks, Katie," Amy said as I discreetly handed her over the cream. She knew I was working for the Weasley's and swore that she wouldn't tell Mum. "Mind putting some on my back?"

"Sure," I said. She pulled up the back of her Quidditch robes revealing four bludger sized bruises. "Damn. Caroli and McNeil got you good, didn't they?" She winced as I rubbed the cream onto her back. "God, if anyone saw these they'd think you were being abused."

She laughed. "Yeah, but it's the good kind of abused. The kind that makes us win matches. It teaches us to be tough," she explained, wincing as I put more of the cream on the second bruise. The first one was slowly but noticeably fading away.

"You ready for the match tomorrow?" I asked, pushing her hair off of her neck. It's a wonder they didn't break her back!

"I think so, but Coach isn't so sure. He's working the chasers to the bone. Once he forgot to let snitch out and yelled at me for ten minutes about why I haven't found it yet. He's nice though," Amy said with a painful shrug. It was quiet for a minute. Amy started playing with her fingernails, something she always did when she was debating on telling me something. "Katie?"

"Hm?"

"If I asked you to meet someone, would you?" she whispered.

"What do you mean?" I watched the second bruise fade away.

"This is going to sound silly. Really immature actually, but it's this guy. He plays for Puddlemere United. You know, the team we're playing tomorrow? Well, he asked me out to dinner so I said I'd let him know after the game tomorrow. But I want you to meet him first. You've always been good at judging people, not that I want you to judge him. Well, actually, yes I do. I want you to see if he's…sincere? Sincere. Because it's too close to a match for me to take anyone seriously without approval."

My eyes went wide. "Who is he?"

"David Kinsey," she said with a blush.

I jumped up, my teenage side taking over. "You're going on a date with _David Kinsey_!" David Kinsey was a Chaser for Puddlemere United, and he was completely gorgeous. There were pictures of him around my dorm (not just me, all the girls in there) at Hogwarts. He had wavy dark blonde hair and emerald green eyes, perfect white teeth and amazing arms. All the girls in my dorm planned their wedding. I remember Leanne had her shoes picked out and everything before we snapped her back to reality.

"Now, only if you approve," Amy laughed.

"I APPROVE! God, do I approve! You're going to be married to a Quidditch star!" I shrieked.

"Shhh. And what do you think I am?"

"True, but you're not on the cover of all those magazines like David Kinsey is, or Joshua Kelly, or Oliver Wood- OLIVER!" I shrieked again, but this time not from joy, from surprise.

"Oliver Wood? What about him?"

"Don't you remember? He was my Quidditch captain back at Hogwarts! He…awe man, where did he go on to? He was a reserve on some team…He… He…" I wracked my brain for the memory of the letter he sent the team at the beginning of my fifth year. Then it hit me. "OH MY GOD!"

"_What_?" Amy asked as she sat up wincing.

"OH MY GOD!"

"Katie!" I heard my mother scream from downstairs. She thundered on up to my room. Amy quickly pulled the back of her shirt down and sat criss crossed on my bed. "_What_ are you screaming about?"

"I…I … I um… I saw a spider. It was big and black. Really ugly. Sorry, Mum." I was grinning like crazy. So either the bug drove me insane, or I was lying.

"I'm not even going to ask," she said, rolling her eyes. She walked out the door and back downstairs.

"_Katie_!" Amy said from my bed. She picked my brush off the table next to it and chucked it at my head.

"Ow! Hey!"

"What are you yelling about? What's up with Wood?"

"He's the reserve!" I shouted, jumping up and down. "He's the reserve for Puddlemere!"

"So?" Amy said, obviously not getting why I was so excited about this.

"Do you think I'd be able to see him?" I asked, excited.

"Why?"

"I haven't seen him since he became a big star! He hasn't written or anything. This would be the perfect time to kick his ass for it. He's my old Quidditch captain." I clutched my hands together and pouted. "Come on, Amy, I haven't seen him in _years_. It's the least you could do."

"I guess I could get you into the dressing rooms, as long as you promise not to ogle any of the players. One time a fan boy got in and he would _not _stop staring at my ass. It's so awkward, especially when the guards aren't doing their jobs." She paused. "Or the guards are staring at your ass…."

I was on an adrenaline rush as I followed a sweaty Amy into the locker room after the match. (They won today, 180 to 60) At first I thought that I was going to see Oliver right away, but the room was for my sister's team. They all seemed to be impressed that I wasn't starstruck. _Quidditch players_, I thought, rolling my eyes.

"Katie," Amy said as she pulled me over to two girls chatting at an open locker. "This is Maryanne Ferguson, our Chaser, and Tulip McNeil, our beater."

"Hello," I said before shaking their hands.

"Amy's a great seeker," Tulip said clapping Amy on the back.

It was a known fact that my sister was great. It was proven today as she won the match while we were thirty points down. The Chocolate Frog Company has been considering giving her a card.

"Yeah, she is," I agreed.

"Come on, Kates. I want to introduce you to the boys." She had her hand on my shoulder and was steering me towards a group of twenty-five-or-so year old boys. One was standing in his boxers with a towel and a bar of soap in his arms. Another was peeling of his padding, padding that I knew so well as to realize that he was a Chaser. The last two were talking at an open locker.

"Oi! Boys!" The four turned around at my sisters calling.

"Amy!" They shouted, running up and hugging her.

"Great job today!" shouted the redhead who was taking off his padding. I knew him as Adam Smith. Amy would always come home talking about a spectacular pass he made in practice and how his red hair shocked the fans. I can't tell you how many times I've seen him on the cover of magazines. The one in his boxers was Christopher Caroli. He was messing up Amy's hair before passing her along to Brandon Sygma. He gave her an awkward one-armed hug before pushing her along to Kyle Lopez who picked her up and spun her around.

When she was done being man handled, she regained her balance by grabbing a bench. "Phew, that was fun," she said, laughing. "Guys, this is my sister. Katie. Katie, these are the guys."

"Good looks must run in the family!" Christopher said before shaking my hand. I blushed and muttered a thank you.

Adam came over and shook my hand as well before pointing to my arm. "The arms of a Chaser, I see. Do you play at school?"

"I play_ed_," I said, emphasizing the past tense of the word. "I just graduated." Though I could tell why he thought I was still at school. I was rather short for my age. "But, yes, I was a Chaser. That shot you made backwards was amazing."

"Why thank you. You're much nicer than your sister." He laughed and I grinned at Amy who stuck her tongue out at him. He did it right on back. I love the maturity level of Quidditch players.

"You're right, Chris. She is a looker. You know, Katie," Kyle said, coming up to me. He winked. "If you ever want to go out to dinner, send me an owl. It's my treat."

"Kyle, you sleaze. She's eighteen!" Amy said defensively. Sadly, I almost got sucked in. He had tanned skin, perfectly straight white teeth and thick dark brown hair.

"So?" He grinned again making me laugh. Then, putting on a more professional voice, "Hello, Ms. Bell. I'm Kyle Lopez, Chaser for the Bigonville Bombers. You look very nice today." Brandon threw a towel on his head before stepping up.

"Ignore him," he said before shaking my hand. "He's mentally unstable, thinking he can get any girl in the world." He winked at me. I smiled.

"Hey, I'm going to take a quick shower before we go, okay? You can occupy yourself here, right?" Amy asked before glaring over at Kyle who just laughed. "Smack him in the head if he tries anything, okay?" She grinned.

"Eh, I like it when they play it rough," Kyle said after he pulled off his uniform.

"Go take a cold shower," Christopher said, tossing Kyle the towel he was holding and picking a new one out of his locker.

I sat and waited for Amy while she took her shower. Kyle obliged and went to go take his own, going off into a separate bathroom. Adam went over to talk to Tulip and Maryanne and Brandon stayed with me to keep me company while I waited for Amy.

"You know, in case Kyle decides he would like company in his shower," Brandon said with a wink.

"He's sure something," I said faintly.

The locker room smelled exactly like the ones I remembered. Like sweaty uniforms, quaffles, and life. Not grass and trees and flowers life. Like people having a fun time and just taking a break, life. The better kind. Because who needs flowers and trees when you could have this excitement. But that was at school. I could never get a spot on a professional Quidditch team like Amy did. I have to admit, I'm a bit jealous of her. But not so much that I resent her. She brought me back to it. Even if it was after only a few days. Though I didn't get that much playing in last year because of the whole incident thing.

Before I knew it, I heard my name being called faintly.

"She sure is a quiet one," I barely heard Brandon say.

"Not normally. I don't know why she's acting like this. Oy, Katie!"

I felt a splash of water hit the back of my head.

"Hey!" I said, standing up quickly. I grabbed her towel and wiped the back of my shirt, not that it did much because the towel itself was still wet.

"Katie, are you ready to go? I need you to do me that favor," Amy said to me, bringing my back from my own little world.

"Favor? What fav- OH! Right. I guess I'll see you guys at your next match then," I said, waving feebly. The rest of the team waved back to me.

Once we were out in the hall, I remembered why I was even more exited to be here.

"Do I get to see Oliver now?" I asked Amy eagerly. She was walking and putting her hair in braids at the same time.

"Well, first you have to do me that favor," she said with a grin. "If he still wants to go with me, after we kicked his butt today."

"He'd better," I said with a grimace. If he didn't, I'd have to physically hurt him.

We walked over to the other team's locker room. There was a big security guard standing there but didn't give us a second glance as we walked in. He merely nodded at Amy and shot a look at me. She pushed open the door.

I glanced around the room and saw no faces I haven't seen on the cover of magazines. Over sitting on a bench, talking to a girl I recognized as Gianna di Santos and a boy I also recognized as Ben Atkins, (both on the cover of at least four magazines at the same time together because they were dating for two years) was David Kinsley. I felt my stomach twist in knots as I realized he was even better looking in person.

"Now, I'm going to go talk to Lila. We were good friends in Hogwarts. I haven't talked to her since. While I do that, I want you to talk to David for me and come back with your opinion. Please, Katie?" I glared at her, but, as casually as I could, marched over to David and patiently waited for him to stop talking.

Once the two beaters walked away, he smiled up at me. "Hello," he said brightly. "Would you like an autograph? I'm surprised Bernie let you in here. Normally he's strict about who comes into the locker rooms that aren't associated to the players. What's your name, young lady?" Okay, so he was nice so far, he just sounded a bit like my grandfather. Young lady… honestly.

"Actually…" As much as I wanted to yes to the autograph, I had to do this for Amy. Besides, if they started dating then he'd be over at my house all the time, which means, who needs autographs? "I wanted to talk to you…" He raised an eyebrow at me. I couldn't help but notice that they curved up at the ends. "My sister, Amy, you asked her to dinner?" _Why not be blunt about it?_ I thought, trying to rid my mind of his eyes and his flippy uppy eyebrows.

"Oh!" He seemed relieved at knowing why I was here, though who wouldn't when a random girl comes up to you? "Amy's sister! Hello, there. She said awfully nice things about you. David Kinsley." He held out his hand for me to shake. And I did so without falling to my knees.

"Katie Bell," I said with a grin. I was slowly gaining more confidence. "So, you asked out my sister, huh?"

"Yes, I did. Why? Don't you approve?" he asked with a grin.

"I'm just making sure I _do _approve." I shot him a look. "She doesn't know I'm here, so don't mention it, okay?" I didn't want it to seem like Amy was some kind of, what's the word? Protective psycho. That's it.

He nodded.

"Good. So…" I sat down on the other end of the bench. He turned to face me. "Why _did _you ask her out? Or is it a secret Quidditch thing? Was it a bet?" Why must I have a tendency to ramble? And about the stupidest things? Over his shoulder I could see Amy shooting me a frantic glance. I prayed she didn't hear me say that and continued. "Sorry." I blushed.

"No problem. Well, I found you sister attractive and last week she happened to save me from the press. Not that I needed saving," macho, "but it was nice to be free of them."

"Really? That's cool. Crud, she saw me. Just let her think I was asking for an autograph. _Please_," I begged. Little does he know, the jokes on him…

"Alright," he agreed with a smile. I hopped off the bench and frantically feigned stuffing something in my pocket (the nonexistent autograph).

"Hey, Amy," I said with a grin at David and a wink at her. I felt like a double agent, which I guess in a way I was. I then nodded at her and went to stand off over against a locker.

I thought I handled that situation very well. At least, I don't _think _David thinks of me as a creepy girl. He seemed nice, someone I wouldn't mind having as a brother-in-law. And I think he'd like my family. My mom's relatively normal. My Uncle Roger…well we can keep David away from him. And my Aunt Laura is nice, as long as you don't annoy her, which I do. Often. My cousin Troy is a lot like Kyle Lopez, though not good at Quidditch.

After getting completely lost in my train of thought, I heard a voice I recognized, though I haven't heard in a long time. It was singing, badly. I'm guessing it thought no one could hear it. The horrible song was something by The Weird Sisters, one of their old songs. I crept along the side of the locker and peered around the corner.

Hoping that the singer didn't hear my gasp, I pulled my head back quickly. My face was red; I knew it was. It always goes red when I'm nervous.

Oliver Wood, my old Quidditch captain, was standing in his boxers, towel drying his hair. He looked nice, no longer the tall gangly thing he was at fifteen, or the not quite symmetrical seventeen. He had these broad shoulders his last year and, not exactly tiny, but not filled out arms. But now he had nice arms, muscular but not bulky, lean, the same broad shoulders, the same light brown hair that fell into his dark chocolate brown eyes, and the same crooked smile that he'd get on his face when Harry would catch the snitch within five minutes or one of the chasers would make a spectacular goal, or when Fred or George managed to hit target and not kill someone, just injure them enough to throw them off from where they were going.

As soon as I caught my breath and checked to make sure he put his shirt and pants on (there was no way I was going to face my ex-captain after three years while he looks good and isn't wearing a shirt) I stood up straight and walked over to him. He looked confused at first with his eyebrows formed into a kind of V shape and his head cocked to the side. After a look of realization, he bent over to his bag…and pulled out a quill and some parchment.

"What's your name?" he asked, looking me in the eye. How he couldn't tell it was me, was beyond me. I only tackled him in my fourth year after he told us that Harry got a Firebolt.

I arched an eyebrow at him.

"This is what you want, right? An autograph? Say, how'd you get passed Bernie?" he asked, looking confused once more.

'Are you daft?' I wanted to shout at him, but instead I smiled and said, "It's Katie, Oliver. Katie Bell. Could you put do my dearest, best _Chaser_ and friend? I'd appreciate it, you know."

His eyes widened in shock. Oliver placed the quill and parchment on the bench and stared me down for a minute before tilting his head and scratching his chin.

"You're not a reporter, are you?"

I was offended before I realized reporters would disguise themselves as other people a lot to get into the locker rooms.

"Nope," I replied with a smile.

"That's good. They try to get me a lot and normally Bernie keeps them out if they don't have a pass…"

"Smart, those reporters are," I said. My right hand shifted to my left elbow. It was getting awkward. You'd think that with all this time I would have thought about what I should say to him. Think again.

It was quiet for a bit. I kept looking around the room, trying not to make eye contact because one of the last times I made eye contact with Oliver he went, "Bell! Do one hundred sit-ups! Now!"

"So…nice weather out, isn't it?" I said uncertainly, glancing up at the window at the top of the locker rooms. I'm pretty sure they were charmed to be that sunny because I was pretty sure we were beneath the stadium, but he didn't say anything about it.

"Yeah," he agreed. "Perfect Quidditch conditions."

I was getting impatient. Sure, he was curious as hell about everything that had to do with Quidditch but of course not about my life, or our friends and old teammates.

"So you don't care about how I've been at all? What I've done so far with my life?" I glared at him and crossed my arms.

"Oh," he said, looking down a little before smiling. "So how's your one week in the real world been, Bell?" He was laughing fully now.

I could feel myself going red so I cursed the Bell tradition of blushing at anything remotely embarrassing. After glaring at him I said, "It's been great. For your information I work for the Weasley's now."

"Oh really?" He seemed remotely shocked. I couldn't tell if it was at the fact that I got a job, that they gave me a job, or they're doing so well that they need employers. "How's that going for them?"

"Actually, business is booming. They just bought Ron, you remember Ron, right? Harry Potter's friend? They just bought him a new broom and Ginny, well, they bribed this fourteen year old who walked into the shop with about twenty galleons to owl her. A nerdy little fellow he was. She wasn't happy. The whole thing blew up in their faces. He started stalking her. This happened in the last two weeks of school. It was great. From what Alicia tells me, they got the better end of her bat-bogey curse."

Oliver laughed. "Sounds just like those two. Is their business really doing that well? I honestly wasn't expecting it. Those two were never serious about anything, let alone work…"

"What's serious about a joke shop?" I asked with a grin. He nodded at me. "So…How have you been?"

"Well, my coach is probably going to kill me. We just got murdered, but I'm sure you saw that. You came to watch the match, didn't you?"

"Well, yeah. My sister got me tickets. She was the Seeker on the other team," I explained sheepishly.

He didn't seem too put out. "She was really good. That was a spectacular catch."

I grinned. "Well, amazing Quidditch skills runs in my family."

"I'm not so sure it does. You were an _awful_ Chaser…"

My jaw dropped and I stared at him in shock.

"Jesus, Bell, I was only joking."

Normally, I would have hit him but I haven't talked to him in a couple of years so I just glared. He grinned in response. "So how's it working for the Weasley's?"

"It's really fun. We basically just lounge around all day until someone comes in. But the slow hours are during the day because it's normally kids who want to come, you know? And their parents have to work. How's it been going for you?"

"That's good. Well, you could probably just check in all the magazines, but it's been going pretty well. Even though I'm not a main player, yet, I'm still recognized. Though that's not surprising."

Arrogance doesn't cease, does it?

"Eh! Wood! Get your lousy ass over here!" Ben Atkins called from across the locker room. "Gianna wants to talk to us about how we played today! We were supposed to smoke this team! She's furious!"

Oliver grinned a little before standing up. "Well, Bell, it's nice seeing you again. Maybe I'll see you at my next match," he said. He walked over and for a minute I thought he was going to hug me but instead he patted my back and walked over to the beater.

I walked back over to Amy who was waiting for me at the door grinning like a maniac. She hardly noticed me until I tapped her on the top of her head. She jerked out of her little daydream and smiled bigger at me. I could guess what happened before she even started talking.

"I'm going out to dinner with him tomorrow night," she squealed once we were out of the hearing range of the locker room and Bernie.

"Really?" I squealed with her. It's always fun to have someone to squeal with. "I can't believe this! You're going to marry David Kinsey!" I almost fainted on the spot. This was one of the things my roommates at school would die for.

"I'm not going to _marry_ him! We're just going to dinner! I can't wait! What do you think Mum'll say?" She started biting her lip.

One Quidditch player in the family was too much for Mum already. Soon she'll have to find out that her other daughter is working in a joke shop instead of a well-supervised, close-minded (Sorry Angelina) bookstore. But if another Quidditch player gets added to the family, I don't know _what _she'll do. She might implode, but that might be the better for mankind.

A/n: Here's the second chapter. I really hoped you guys liked it. I had to pretend I was doing my English project so that I could post it by my own personal deadline (Tuesday night) because I've been grounded from the computer until I clean my room. Lazy people prevail! Go Procrastinators! Anyway, I'll try to have Chapter Three up either by this weekend or early next week. If it's not up by Wednesday, well it will be. I hope. But if its not, you can yell at me. Anyway, REVIEW! Because one day reviews will rule the world!

Later Gators

-Siriusly Klutzy


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I own nada.

**Chapter Three** Enjoy!

I woke up to see a figure frantically running around my room. After refocusing my eyes and not looking out the window into the pupil dilating sun, I realized that it was Amy. She was running between my closet and my dresser, taking things out, holding them against herself, and then throwing them to the other side of the room. Wishing this were a dream, I pulled the blankets up to my forehead and curled into a little ball before remembering that I needed to be to work in an hour.

"Amy," I mumbled incomprehensibly. "Aim, what are you doing?" I peaked out from under my blankets.

Amy was standing in the middle of my room with her hands on her hips and a disgruntled look on her face. Her ratty sweat pants were twisted around like she had gotten a horrible night sleep and her tank top was sliding off her shoulder.

"I'm looking for something to wear for tonight! I have _nothing_! And we're close to the same size!" Close? At my tallest, I'm five foot four while she towers at five feet nine. Although, I'm sure some of my dresses would fit her and we do have the same size feet. I couldn't however comprehend any of this after being awaken by the blasted sun and a sock being thrown under your nose.

"How can you not have anything?" I threw the blankets off of me and sat on the edge of my bed. "I need to shower." Trying to keep your eyelids open is not easy in the morning.

"Go shower then!" she said sharply, picking out a light blue t-shirt before tossing it on my lamp, causing my room to dim.

"Don't destroy my room," I muttered as I grabbed my towel and walked out the door.

By the time I got out of my shower and dressed (khaki pants and a dark blue polo, I've got to look semi nice for work) it looks like a cyclone went through my room and to Ireland and back. There were clothes _every_where, which annoyed me because I go through phases where everything has to be perfectly in place. It's a rare occurrence but of course I was going through one right then and there. In the middle of it all, Amy was lying on the floor, a flared black skirt lying across her legs and a light silk pink shirt over her face.

"I think that would look nice with those black sling backs you bought last year," I mumbled through the bobby pins I was holding with my teeth as I put my hair in a low pony tail.

"Really?" she asked excitedly, sitting up straight. It made me jump.

"Jeez, Amy."

"Do you really like it?" She was standing next to me now, her hair falling out of the hair tie it was messily put in. "I don't like pink…" Amy frowned.

I looked at the outfit that she was now holding out in front of her. She was standing on her toes to get the look of the heels. "Should I wear it?"

"I think you should. It's casual but not too casual," I observed. "I like it. It's what I wore to Angelina's birthday party last summer."

"I thought Angelina's birthday was in October?" Amy asked, looking in my full-length mirror. I butted her out of the way.

"It's in December, but her parents wanted to celebrate so they did something in the summer," I explained. "Why are you getting ready so early anyway? Isn't your date at like six or something?"

"Yes, but you know how I am with clothes, Kates. I can never decide what to wear. I've been searching in here for three hours already," she explained. My jaw dropped.

"Three hours? Are you crazy?"

"Oh shush. You never told me," she started, changing the subject. "How was it reuniting with your Quidditch captain?" She sang the last part in a mocking tune.

I thought about it as I put my eye shadow on. "It was alright, really awkward though. At first he thought I was a fan who wanted an autograph and then a reporter who wanted an interview before I told him who I was." I left out the part of him making fun of me.

"Men," my sister sighed, rolling her eyes. "They're so oblivious, aren't they?"

"Sure," I said, picking up my tote bag that held my work things (notebooks, pens, prices, rules, a book in case it's a slow day, etcetera…) before looking at the clock. "I've got to go. Will I see you before you leave?" The looked thoughtful for a moment before nodding. "Alright. See you later, then."

And with that, I apparated off to work.

When I appeared in the middle of the store, Fred was leaning over the counter talking to Chloe and George was over by a shelf with a notebook, counting the stock. I walked over to bother George after not being greeted by either one.

"Hey, George," I whispered over his shoulder. He jumped a mile in the air. "Whoa, sorry!" I laughed.

He started laughing, too. "Katie," he whined. "You almost made me knock over my Friend in a Can!" (Friend in a Can: Open the lid and a best friend pops out! Warning: May punch others nearby in the nose, teeth, arm, jaw, head, etcetera…)

I apologized. "What are they talking about?" I asked, peering through one of the shelves to see Fred and Chloe laughing about something unknown to the world.

He rolled his eyes. "I have no idea. I think its just Fred being Fred. I should hit him in the head with my Friend in a Can." He grinned mischievously.

The bell above the door jingled, signaling that someone walked in, though the store wasn't even open yet.

"Oy! Weasley's! Where are you?" it shouted through the store. I knew that voice well.

"Alicia!" I squealed, jumping out from behind the shelves and pulling George with me to the front of the shop. She raised an eyebrow at us before going, "Katie! What are you doing here?!"

"I work here!" I squealed, hugging her. "What are _you _doing here?"

"I have the day off today! I was going to come hang out with the twins! You work here?!" she said, grinning like mad before going off to hug George and kiss his cheek, something that went unnoticed to Fred and Chloe who were walking over to the group now. I wondered how long they'd been dating but hadn't gotten the chance to ask before she went on. "Hello, Chloe!" She hugged Chloe and then moved on to Fred.

"Little old Alicia Spinnet. What _are _you doing here?" Fred asked hugging her. They're acting like they haven't seen each other in ages. "How was Greece?" Greece?

"Greece?" I asked curiously, looking at her and in fact realizing that she did look tanner than the pasty memory of my friend.

"Business trip," she explained with a grin. "Only a week but it was fun… You should go, Katie," she added with a wink. "Greek boys." She grinned and George looked horrorstricken. "Oh don't worry, Hun, I wasn't interested in them. You and your red hair and pallid skin will always be number one on my list." She kissed him again.

Gag me, please.

"Uck," I said, rolling my eyes. "I can't believe you went to Greece and didn't tell me!" I had my arms crossed and my eyebrows furrowed but I was grinning at her.

"Sorry, Katie. Just to let you know, I'll be heading over to the Korean Ministry in two months for a conference with their Minister of Magic."

"Korea?" George whined, looking up at Alicia.

"It's only for two days," Alicia said, looking at him sadly.

Once again: Gag me, please.

"So Fred," I said, turning to face the less romantic Weasley twin. He was laughing at my sudden change. "What needs to be done before we open?" I gave him a pleading look and he pointed to the back of the shop.

"You could unpack some of those boxes back there. The Chocolate Frog Company wanted us to start selling them and we agreed as long as they considered giving each of us a card." He winked. "But you can just unpack them and vanish the boxes."

I quickly scurried off to the back room and pulled open a heavy box filled with the magically delicious chocolate. The temptation to eat them was strong, but I thought of how it would come out of my paycheck. Grudgingly I put each Chocolate frog in a nice little pile next to a box filled with Punching Telescopes and a cage filled with Pygmy Puffs.

_Just one wouldn't hurt, right?_ I thought to myself before glancing around the room. The door was shut and the windows were closed. It was like I was a criminal. But it was one Chocolate Frog. I'll even give the card to some little kid in the store who's looking at the Chocolate Frogs, wishing he could have a – I opened it and pulled out the card- Morgana! Those are really popular though. Go figure.

Though I could eat another one and get an even better card and I could give the little kid both, but hide the famous Morgana underneath it so that it'd be a little surprise.

No, I will not eat another one.

But they were just so tempting to look at. Look at? Who am I kidding? To eat, of course. But I will not. I swear to myself that I will not.

Lying to yourself is not good, especially when it's about **chocolate**. A Dumbledore card is laying next to the Morgana one and they are both looking at my quizzically.

The back door creaks open and I quickly shove the frog in my mouth, trying not to giggle as it hops down my throat.

"Katie? Are you in here?" a voice I recognize as Chloe's sounds through the small storage room.

"Yeah, over here," I say, my own voice muffled from the deliciously creamy chocolate. I slowly stand up to back away before temptation takes over again.

"What are you doing?" she asks, looking at my guilty face and the Chocolate Frog cards on the floor. "Ohh." I grin after swallowing the remaining amazingness.

"They're just so tempting," I began to ramble. "It's honestly not my fault. Fred should know better than to assign a girl to chocolate duty."

"You're right," Chloe said with a grin. "Toss me one of those, would you?" She sat next to the door and leaned against it. I picked up a frog and tossed it to her. She pulled it open and looked out the door. "Flamel, not bad…" she said before tossing the jerking frog into her mouth.

"So… are George and Alicia…dating?" I asked cautiously.

"Was it the nicknames or the kissing that told you that?" she asked slyly.

I cringed. As much as I love those two, seeing them making out wasn't on top of my to-do list.

"Since when? I mean I know they had a 'thing' going on at Hogwarts, but now? I would have thought the two would have moved on…" I was mostly talking to myself by the end of that because I completely forgot that Chloe was there.

"About a month after school last year, actually," Chloe explained to me.

I opened my eyes in shock. "What?!" They had been at it for that long and _no one told me_? What kind of friends do I have here?

"You didn't know?" Chloe asked, equally, if not more, shocked than I was. "Merlin, I thought they would have told you at the beginning…"

"Apparently they forgot to write it in the many letters they sent," I said grimly, my face red.

"It seems that way," Chloe said, reaching for another frog. I tossed her one and took one for myself. Employee discount, you must remember that. "I'm sure they forgot. It's no big deal…"

"No big deal? I was the one who bugged them during Hogwarts about it. I almost threw Alicia at George the night of the Yule Ball and neither of them would dance!" I was fuming now. How could they keep something like this from me?

"Whoa, Katie, breathe. Eat another frog." She handed me her newly opened frog and I took it, biting the poor thing's head off. It never stood a chance.

"You know what, I'm going to ask _them_," I growled, standing up. I marched right over to the door, watched Chloe move a little to the left, and walked right into the shop where Fred was dealing with a little boy asking about the Pygmy Puffs and George was at the register, staring off into space.

"Hello there, Katie. Listen, Alicia wants you to meet her and Angelina for lunch at twelve thirty," George explained as I marched up to him. "Why's your face all red? Are you mad?"

"You bet your fathers monkey I'm mad!" I said. I stood right up to him, toes to toes, chest to chest, kind of. It more like stomach to chest. I looked him right up in the eye, making my face parallel to the floor. He took a step back.

"Katie, what's _wrong_?" he whispered, looking around at the few customers who were in there and full out staring.

"_You_," I poked his chest now that he was a decent amount away. "Didn't tell me about you and Alicia! Whereas I should have known _first_!"

Then he started laughing, which of course just ticked me off even more. I went to grab him by his collar and shake him threateningly but I stepped in something sticky on the floor and couldn't move.

"What the-?" I said, looking down at my feet, which were engulfed in this green goop. I tried to lift them out of it but they wouldn't budge. "What's on my feet?" I asked curiously, almost completely forgetting about my anger.

"Congratulations, Katie! You have been the first to try out our new Weasley Trap! If you feel threatened, just sprinkle some on the predators feet and they'll be immobile for about ten minutes, allowing you to make a clean escape," George explained to me with a grin on his face. He crossed his arms.

"I thought this whole working for you think would mean getting me out of being your test subject!" I growled, trying to lift my feet once more. George merely shook his head as Fred walked over.

"By George, George! It works!" Fred said, looking down at my feet. "And look at that color. It's perfect!"

"I do believe it is, Fred," George said proudly. "Katie was the perfect subject. She came raging out of the storage room, yelling about not telling her about Alicia and me and I just sprinkled some on her feet and _bam_! She was stuck."

"Hey! Why _didn't _you tell me?" I growled, glaring at the two ginger haired boys.

"I always thought that Alicia put it somewhere in her letters and that when you mailed me you just didn't want to bring it up because of your own lack of _lurrvee_," George explained. I shot him a glare and tried to strangle him again. He and Fred just laughed some more.

"I'm stuck here for ten minutes?" I asked with a pout, looking up at the Weird Sisters Clock that was floating to the left of George's head.

"Well we _think _it's for ten minutes," Fred said with a grin. "Remember, you're our test subject." I glared at them again. "I think the longest you'd be stuck there is half an hour." This was not happy news.

"Half an hour? Are you serious?" I asked them, trying to keep my balance by holding onto the counter and George's sleeve.

George nodded before prying my fingers off of his arm and walking away. Fred followed.

"Guys? Guys you aren't going to leave me here, are you?"

And they did.

"Tough luck," I heard Chloe say from behind me. "Looks like you're on counter duty." She popped one last hopping frog into her mouth. "I've got to go make sure those ratty little kids over there don't steal anything, otherwise I'd stay here and keep you company."

"Thanks, anyway," I said with a sigh, looking up at the Weird Sisters clock. The two fighting men from when I first came here were out on the lead singers tongue.

"Poor girl," said the first one, arms crossed and a noticeable frown upon his face. "Stuck there."

"She probably deserves it," the second one said, stroking his chin.

"You know what you deserve?" the first one asked kindly.

"Hm?" the second one responded, obviously not interested.

"This!" And the first one wailed the second one in the jaw with its right fist before taking a diving motion. For one horrid second I thought the little man was going to fall off of the tongue, but something (magic I'm assuming) kept him on there.

"OY!" the second one yelled, tackling the first to the ground and punching him in the nose before standing up again. The first one proceeded to trip the second one down and step on his leg. The second one swung up with his free leg and got the first right in the goods. He crumpled over in pain, gasping for breath.

"Sorry, mate, are you all right?" the second one asked, offering a hand to the first.

"Yes, yes," the first replied, taking the hand and allowing himself to be pulled up. Then, with all the strength this little fellow could muster, he stomped right on the second one's foot before running back in the mouth of the lead singer, cackling like mad. The second one chased him, hopping down the center of the tongue, cussing like mad.

I laughed at their little show before remembering my predicament. With a sigh, I turned to the register to see a little boy holding up a Pigmy Puff and a little bag that was rattling with coins. He had the chubbiest little cheeks I've ever seen in my life and a mop of curly brown hair.

"Awe," I said, greeting the little boy. "Would you like to buy a Pygmy Puff?" I smiled down at him.

"Well _obviously_," he said in this squeaky voice, his tone full of malice. "I want _this _one." Before I could stop myself, I raised an eyebrow at the little demon.

"Alright," I said, taking the Pygmy Puff from him. "That's two galleons, seven sickles, and a knut."

"What do you mean, 'and a knut?'" he asked, looking at me like I was mental. "The sign over there says that they cost two galleons and seven sickles. There's nothing about _knut_."

"Tax, kiddo, tax," I said. He handed over his coins grimly. I counted them, gave him the complimentary cage that came with the Puffs, and he walked out of the shop, running over to what I would assume to be his big sister. Maybe he was nice on the inside, or once you got to know him. But that kid needed to learn some manners before he talks to strangers.

Fifteen minutes later with no action in the shop whatsoever, my feet became unstuck from the ground. I jumped up, surprised, when I started tapping my foot out of habit. I'd been trying while I was stuck there.

The first thing I did, after helping a girl pick out a spy kit for her brothers birthday, was go and jump on George's back. He spun around quickly, with me clinging on for dear life, before he realized what had happened.

"Oh, it's just you, Katie. I thought a monkey broke lose from the zoo."

"Clever," I said. "Real witty."

"Of course," George said with a grin as he peeled my hands off from around his neck. I slid to the floor. "You know, that's harassment."

"What?" I asked, looking at him as I blew a stray piece of hair out of my face.

"You jumping on me." He tapped his foot. "I could file for sexual harassment."

"Bull," I said.

"Really, I could. Fred got Chloe with that one last year when she hugged him from behind, scaring the hell out of him. It was really funny, though poor Chloe was scared out of her mind before he told her that he was kidding."

"You two are cruel," I said to him.

"Yes, yes we are. It comes with the territory."

"What time is it?" I asked, looking around for the ever-floating Weird Sisters clock. "I'm hungry."

"You're going out to lunch with Alicia and Angelina at noon, remember?" George asked as he wiped down a dusty shelf. It was covered in trick gum. Classical, but not very popular with the little kids.

"What? Since when?"

"Since I told you before sticking you to the floor," George said with a grin. "Don't you remember?"

"Well, you can't honestly expect me to remember. I was-am- mad about that. I can't believe you didn't tell me!"

"Don't blame me," George said, putting his hands in front of him, palms out. "I thought that Alicia would have told you. She's more of the secret spiller than I am. And it wasn't even a secret. Angelina knew, I know that much."

"Oh thanks. Makes me feel good. Just because I was stuck at Hogwarts there was no need for me to know anything, right," I said, pouting but trying not to smile as well so it wasn't working that great.

At about a quarter to eleven, Alicia and Angelina apparate into the shop. Angelina hugs me, and Alicia smiles sheepishly.

"Thanks for telling me about you and George, 'Lic," I said, but hugged her all the same.

"I thought he told you," she admitted with a sight. "Otherwise I would have, Katie, you know I would have."

"I know, I know. But how can you trust _George_?" I asked with a giggled.

"Thanks Katie," the aforementioned twin said, appearing behind me then walking over to his girlfriend, slipping an arm around her waist.

"Any time, George," I said, remembering a time back in my second year when he promised me that bludgers don't hurt when they hit you, they just stun you so you can't go for what you were doing. I reminded him of this and the miscreant just grinned.

"You ready to go, Katie?" Angelina asked.

"Yeah, well, can I go, Boss?" I asked, turning to George with a smile.

"As long as you take care of my girl," he said, winking at Alicia. Angelina and me mimed gagging, causing us to each receive a smack in the back of the head. I never knew Alicia could hit so hard.

"George, you need to start lifting weights," Angelina commented. "It felt like someone dropped a feather on my head."

"Funny, Ang. Really hysterical."

"It's a curse," she said before turning on her heal. Alicia waved and we both followed her out the door.

"I've made reservations at the Smoky Vial," Alicia said, leading us in the direction of the entrance of Diagon Alley. "It's just before the Leaky Cauldron." And it was. It was an old kind of building that blended in so very well with its surroundings that I had never noticed it before. It had a bit of a charm to it. There were big windows in the front so you could see the other people dining, and little trays of deserts were floating by themselves around the room while waiters and waitresses levitated their own trays of food to different tables.

We walked in and were seated almost immediately. The people in the long line sent glares in our direction, obviously not as smart as Alicia to make reservations. We got a table for three (odd I know, but it was triangle shaped and very picturesque) seated to the middle left next to an old couple at a table for two and a poor women with three other children.

"This is really nice, Alicia," I said. Our menus appeared in front of us, making me gasp. I wasn't used to menus popping out of nowhere.

"Isn't it? A girl at work told me about it and I decided that it'd be a good place to take you guys for lunch," she explained nonchalantly.

"So, guys," Angelina started. Before she could go any further with her thought, a waiter appeared and asked what we'd like to drink. He took our drink orders quickly and returned, giving us our drinks and taking our orders. "Anyway, I'm having a dinner party for my colleagues on the twentieth and I wanted you two to come. Do you think you could? It'd be fun and I'd like you to meet some people." It seemed so…so professional of Angelina to be having a _business _party. A "business" party involving tons of fire whiskey and a bunch of people from her shop _maybe_ but not a buisnessy business party.

"A party?" I asked, surprised. I've never been to a business party. I've been to the parties that Fred and George would throw at Hogwarts, involving butter beer, butter beer spiked with fire whiskey, and pumpkin juice (more than likely spiked with fire whiskey). But those were reserved for winning Quidditch matches (most likely), getting a good grade on a paper for Snape (very rare), or just for any plain reason at all (more than common).

"Yes," Angelina said. She took a sip of her lemonade. "It's not a black tie kind of thing. You could go in jeans if you'd like. That's what I'm going in." She grinned. There's the Angelina I know. Sporty, spunky, and definitely not law abiding.

"Oh, that sounds fun, Ang. What day did you say it was?" Alicia asked her, excited. She was always one, no matter what she had to study for, for parties. And most likely the one who downed way too much of the spiked butter beer (not that she knew it was spiked, I think…) and ended up sleeping on the couch in the Common Room.

"The twentieth. I'm so glad you guys could come. The twins already said that they would be there," she explained. "Mrs. Weasley is making cake for it. She makes the best cakes. Do you remember the one she sent you for your birthday, Alicia?"

Alicia 'ohhhed'. "Yes, I do! That cake was amazing!" She laughed, a glazed look in her eye before continuing back to the conversation. "Remember Oliver yelling at me for eating so much and being so tired the next day?"

"I thought he was going to _kill _you, Lic! That was the day before the Ravenclaw match!" I said, grinning. Oliver was very meticulous about our Quidditch.

Almost a week passed before anything note-worthily interesting happened. After Amy's second date with David, she got asked on another. He complimented her outfit, she told me. (Thank God, seeing as she woke me earlier than necessary to find a good one. If he didn't like it I would have had to Avada Kedavra his ass.) Now she's panicking because he asked her out again for tonight to some fancy restaurant. I was too excited for her to be paying attention to names.

"Another date, Katie! Can you believe it?" she squealed, spinning around in her simple but flattering black cocktail dress she took from Mum.

Mum's been getting suspicious of all these dates that Amy's been going on. She's lied fabulously, telling her it was a guy from the ministry, an assistant to the head of Magical Games and Sports. It was as close to the truth as she could get, though Mum seemed pleased that she was "dating a Ministry Man."

"I still can't believe you're going out with him," I gushed to her. I was sitting on her bed after work. She had just found a dress that she liked and I told her that if she changed it again I would owl David right now and tell him not to come. "Can you imagine what would happen if the girls in my dorm knew this? Poor Leanne would have a heart attack…" I really should owl that girl.

"Me either. He's so nice." She was just about to fall onto her bed before I held my arms out.

"You'll wrinkle the dress before he even gets here," I reminded her. "Not to mention gorgeous."

"He is, isn't he?" she asked, wrinkling her nose a bit and grinning. "I really like him, Katie. I just wish I could tell Mum."

"Are you kidding me?" I asked, looking at her like she was insane. "Mum would go _ballistic_. Remember what happened when you got the job on the Quidditch Team? That was the longest silent treatment I've ever seen her give anyone. Even Dad!"

Mum and Dad didn't fight a lot but when they did, Mum would give him the silent treatment for days at a time. She regrets it a lot now, what with him gone and everything, but that doesn't stop her from giving us the cold shoulder when we do something, in her words, stupid.

"I know, but still. I don't know…" She was talking nonsense now, but it didn't matter, as I kind of understood what she was getting at. There was a knock on the door and I rushed down to answer it for two reasons.

Amy didn't want to look anxious.

And she couldn't get down the stairs in heals fast enough before Mum could answer the door.

I on the other hand managed to fly down the stairs just as Mum was opening her bedroom door. "I've got it!" I shouted in her direction. She just put her glasses back on and walked back into her room. I opened the front door and grinned as David walked in, a single rose in his hand.

"Hi!" I said. "Amy will be down in a minute. Do you want anything to drink?" Mum's been training me for too long to be a good hostess.

"Oh, no thanks," he said, taking a seat on the couch. _My _couch. "How have you been? Amy's told me about your job. It sounds fun. Almost as fun as being a Quidditch player." He winked.

"I've been pretty good. Making money hanging out with your friends all day is pretty much the best job in the world," I said with a smile.

"Cheers," he said, raising an imaginary glass. I copied him. "It sucks that I have to play against Amy, though. Especially because I personally think she's much better than our Seeker. I think it's the weight. She's tiny, fast."

"Oh, I know what you mean. When Charlie Weasley played with us, he was so much different than Harry because he was so much bigger," I explained.

"Harry Potter?" he asked. I nodded. "I've met him, nice kid."

Kid? He's only a year younger than me. I went to point this out to him when Amy waltzed down the stairs looking unbelievably graceful, a trait that didn't run in my family, mind you. She made it all the way to the last stair without falling and I was immensely impressed. She grinned at me as she passed and David kissed her on the cheek. She blushed and the two of them walked out the door silently.

That was interesting.

I sat around the rest of the night in sweat pants and a t-shirt eating ice cream and watching old movies on the television. All in all it wasn't boring. It feels weird to have all this free time though. At Hogwarts you always had something to do or some paper to write and some place to go.

And people say life is tough.

Amy got home around midnight to see me and my tear stricken face. She hugged me and started asking if everything was all right, petting my head, not letting me get a word in to say that it was the movie I was just watching.

"It's okay, Katie. What happened? Tell me, come on. I wont tell Mum, I swear," she said, her head on mine as she rubbed my back.

"Aim. Amy!" it took me a few horse shouts to get her to look at me. "I was watching a sad movie." I wiped the tears off my cheeks and continued. "How was your date?"

She looked confused for a minute before starting her rant on how it was the most perfect date and how he complimented her outfit a dozen times (my shirt and shoes again, by the way). He also asked her out on another date. Boy was my sister on a roll. And to think, this time last year I was fretting about how much he was a complete babe. Which he still is, there's no doubt about that, but to think that I (and my whole dorm) wanted to marry him, that seems a little weird now.

"Sounds like you had a good time?" I said as I walked into the kitchen to put my empty ice cream bowl in the sink.

"I did. He's so nice, too." She grinned and giggled. "I can't wait until our next date. He said we're going to a carnival. I'm not exactly sure what it is but he said that there'd be caramel apples."

I laughed.

Amy _loved_ caramel apples. When she was five she had three in a row and was on a sugar high before she passed out in my dads lap from exhaustion. She likes the thrill you get from eating so many. And not only can she eat a lot, but also she doesn't gain weight and now it's just the rush. I'm guessing her metabolism is really fast what with Quidditch and all. I should have just stuck with the sport.

Angelina said I could wear jeans to her dinner party. But she didn't specify what kind of shirt. I mean, you can have the scumbag jeans look with a ratty pair of jeans and a ratty old t-shirt with massive pit stains. The thought of that makes me gag. Or you could have the sophisticated jeans; the black skinny ones and a peasant shirt with some spiky black heels. Or I could go for the casual jeans with the t-shirt and the knitted pattern on the back with a few casual but trendy rips in the side.

Angelina, since when are you not specific?!

Then there's also the matter of jean _skirts, _which could arrange from 60s to slutty. But I'm not even going to get into that.

I still had an hour before I had to be at Angelina's to help set up and everything. I told her I'd make her home look classy for her coworkers because she wanted to make good impressions. They were all simple kind of people, not a lot of high standards. But then she also invited people from the ministry, besides Alicia that is.

I finally decided on my slimming pair of flare jeans and a red t-shirt with a big beady necklace. That's not scumbag, overdressed, too casual, or too slutty. It's a good thing I can think when I'm panicking otherwise I would have gone in my bathing suit and I really don't think Angelina would appreciate that.

When I got there, Alicia was there with George. He was standing on a little stool, trying to tape a banner to the top of a doorway, the one that goes from the living room into the kitchen. Alicia was leaning against said doorway, laughing to herself as George strained to reach the top.

"Um… George?" I asked, looking up at my struggling redheaded friend.

"Yeah?" He grunted, standing on his tiptoes.

"You aren't charming this _because_?" I asked.

"Angelina didn't _want _me to."

I threw a glance at Alicia who shrugged.

"She said that it needs to look like we made an attempt for this thing," he said, finally taping the thing to the wall. "I don't know what she's talking about with this 'we' stuff. She's in the kitchen talking to Mum about the bloody cake."

I laughed.

"What can I do to help?" I asked him as he climbed off the stool and glared into the kitchen.

"You can tape up the other side for me. I'm going to get a drink," he said, walking off to the kitchen.

"What's wrong with him?" I whispered to Alicia as she kicked me over the stool.

"No idea," she replied. "You look nice."

"Thanks," I said with a grin. I climbed on the stool. "As do you. Could you hand me the tape right there?" She picked it up off of the side table next to the doorway and I taped the other side of the banner up with ease. It was my heels that gave me the extra height. As we all know, I'm no giant.

"So," I said shortly, stepping down. "Where's the other red headed menace?"

"I'm not sure. He was supposed to be here half an hour ago when George showed up but George said he was coming later," Alicia explained. We walked into the kitchen, passed the counter that had a big, multicolored cake on it that read _Congratulations._

"Congratulations?" I asked. I took a cup off of the counter and poured myself some punch that was on the table that was set up. "Congratulations for what?"

"Nothing. They just needed to write something on the cake," Alicia laughed. She walked behind it and took a miniscule bit of frosting on her index finger and stuck it in her mouth. "If anyway asks, George has been doing that." She winked and walked away.

Well, Alicia has a bad side. There's something I never would have guessed.

I wandered to the other side of the house that lead to the back yard and saw Angelina instructing George on how to put up the gray and blue balloons. I don't know why they were gray and blue. They seem kind of drab but they had this look to them. I don't know what to call it. I'm not an interior designer. George was walking around the big backyard muttering under his breath. The ten balloons or so that he was holding in his hand made him look like an angry ten year old who wasn't able to go out on his new broom.

"Hey, Ang," I said. I approached her from behind and she whirled around.

"Katie!" she squealed. "I'm glad you're here. Now you can help. He isn't listening!" She jabbed a thumb over her shoulder.

"I'm doing the best I _can_!" George whined. "It's not my fault my disobedient brother isn't here yet. They're sticking me with all the work, Katie! Just because I'm the only one here with balls! It's sexist I tell you! You're all sexist!"

"George Weasley!" Mrs. Weasley said, scolding her son. "Don't you _dare_ use language like that while I'm around or you'll be grounded for a _month_!"

George let out a strangled cry before tying more balloons around the fence around the yard. I just laughed at him along with Alicia, Angelina, and Mrs. Weasley.

"You're dating a mad man," Angelina pointed out as George stomped off to the next post.

Alicia sighed. "Yes. I am."

"I'm not mad! You're the mad ones!" George proclaimed as he walked by to get more balloons and fill them up.

"Who's mad?" came a voice from the inside of the house. Fred walked in the door casually, as if he wasn't already an hour late.

"You've turned him mad, Fred," Angelina explained with a grin.

"Well, yes. I guess being locked up with someone who looks just like you but is obviously more the better can turn a person insane," Fred said. He grinned and walked up to our little group.

"Where have you been?" his mother scolded, now turning onto him.

"Sorry I'm late. I had to talk to someone before I came and it lasted longer than I thought it would," Fred explained. His explanation was full of holes. I was not buying this for a second. Later, I'll corner him and force him to tell me what was going on.

"Help George put up decorations," Mrs. Weasley demanded.

"Right-o." Fred hopped off to help out a slightly less frantic George.

"He's never on time," Angelina said. She turned around and walked right back to the kitchen.

Half an hour later, actual guests (you know, the ones who don't have to help put up decorations and such) started showing up. Angelina greeted each of them at the door and motioned to one of us, who were always in the room so it looked like she had friends. I was normally the one being introduced to.

The first one was Barry Olinvine. He was a rather large man, clean-shaven, and eyes full of laughter. I went to shake is hand like I'd been planning on doing for all the guests but he pulls me over and goes, "Angie! Is this the Katie Bell I've heard so much about? My God, you did an awful job of describing her! She's much taller in person!" He was the big man on campus at Angelina's bookshop and his wife Martha worked at the ministry so obviously these were important people.

Next came Henry McDavis, a scrawny man wearing khaki pants and a white shirt with a black tie and shiny black shoes. His hair was sticking out in all directions. Henry walked over to me awkwardly to shake my hand but pulled it away quickly.

"Do you wear lotion?" he asked quietly but in a strangely squeaky voice.

"Um, yes," I answered.

"Angelina, um, where's your bathroom?" he asked, now shaking.

"Over there, to the right, Henry," Angelina replied, rolling her eyes. I gave her a questioning look. "He's obsessive compulsive."

"Oh," I said. My Mum's cousin Marty is obsessive compulsive. My great aunt Margaret and him will come over to have dinner once ever four months and we have to deal with Marty getting up and washing every single dish on the table before we can actually eat and then picking lint off of every piece of furniture in the house.

Then along came a really gorgeous guy. He was introduced as Devon Olinvine, son of Barry Olinvine (who already likes me, bonus), and around the age of nineteen. Devon had wavy black hair arranged in casual dismay. I almost started drooling when I saw him but Angelina, thankfully, distracted me from that. I shook his hand and said a friendly hello, which he returned but then went over to talk to his father and mother.

A few more guests came in, a tall pointy looking blonde lady named Giselle. I shook her hand (she almost broke mine) but never got a chance to say hello because she walked right over to the fireplace in the corner and kind of stared into it, as if this party was going to be boring and she claimed the good spot for the night.

I rolled my eyes and was greeted to an old wrinkly man whose eyes crinkled when he smiled. He was known as Gramp. I'm pretty sure his real name was Todd but everyone was calling him Gramp. He did the labeling and sorting of the books in the bookshop.

Chloe was the next person to come in, which surprised me. I knew that she knew Angelina but it didn't occur to me that she'd be here. I said hello and we both walked into the kitchen.

"I'm glad you're here," I said. We stood around the food table and ate chips. "A lot of different people walked through that door that I had to greet."

"You poor thing," Chloe sympathized, thought it was sarcastically. "Did you see?"

"Huh?"

"The babe." She giggled.

"Devon?" I whispered to her and she nodded. We both looked over to where Devon was standing, in the corner talking to Giselle and some other girl that I missed coming in. He was smiling and had a drink in his hand. We both giggled and started talking about him, randomly looking over and sighing.

Around the fourth time he caught my eye and I blushed and looked away quickly. He didn't look scared or freaked out or anything. Actually, he didn't show any kind of emotion, which was kind of disappointing.

"Hey," Chloe said when I turned back to her, my face red. She laughed. "Nice. Can I tell you something?"

"Sure, why not?" I said. I picked up another chip, popped it in my mouth and listened.

"Fred…askedmeoutonadate," she said quickly.

"What?" I asked, unable to comprehend at that speed.

"He asked me out on a date. That was why he was late to get here," she whispered and blushed.

"Really?" I asked in shock. Then I whispered to myself, "Didn't see that one coming."

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing, nothing. Did he really? Where is he taking you?"

"I'm not sure. He said we'd go somewhere Friday but he didn't specify. Don't tell anyone, though, would you? I'm not sure people are supposed to know."

"Of course not," I said, taking another chip. "That's pretty random."

"Even for a Weasley twin," she added. "I didn't see it coming." I laughed.

"Oh, me either."

"Want to go spy on the babe?" she asked with a mad giggle.

"Of _course_. You've got yourself a man. It's my turn now." Then I paused. "Gross." Fred as a boyfriend? Gag me please.

We walked over to the other side of the kitchen, but George intercepted Chloe. He engulfed her in a hug. He was over his insanity problem at the moment now that he didn't have to clean or tape anything to a wall. So I walked over to Barry who was talking to Gramp about the store.

"It's a good little business, isn't it Gramp?" Barry was saying.

"Yes, it is. A fine little shop. Don't you think so, Katie?" Gramp asked me.

"What? Oh yes, I like it. I bought a book their on bruises because my sister plays Quidditch and her team has amazing beaters," I said. "It's very nice. I go there on my lunch breaks some times, as well."

"Do you? Would you look at that, Gramp? A well-read girl. You don't see many of those nowadays, do you?" Barry said, pulling me next to him. It was like he was my grandfather not someone I met three seconds ago.

"No you don't. Not today," Gramp said. "Now all you've got is those tutie fruties who go shopping for bloody clothes and pictures of Quidditch players." I laughed because it was completely true. "You said your sister was a Quidditch player?" he asked, lowering his glasses so that he could see me better.

"Yes, I did."

"Who's she play for? My nephew is a Quidditch player as well," Gramp said.

"The Bagonville Bombers," I replied, proud of my sister.

"Oh she's on the team that beat my nephew's. His first real match as well. Have you heard of Oliver Wood?" he asked.

I gasped a little and almost dropped my drink on Angelina's nice white carpet. "Yes, he was my Quidditch captain at school! And I just talked to him the other day, the day he lost actually." I could feel my face going red.

"Really? He should be lucky to have such a sweet friend." I grinned.

"Thank you."

"I'm going to go get some fresh air. I hear Angie has some nice flowers planted out back," Barry said.

"I'll come with you," Gramps said. He reached into the pocket of his pants and pulled out a pack of cigarettes, waving them in my face. "Never start these bloody things muggles come up with. The healers say I've got the heart of a Cornish pixie. And that's not a compliment." I smiled.

"Alright, I wont."

Him and Barry walked out the door and I stood there alone with my drink. The first person I saw was Alicia and she was sitting next to a frantically speaking (her arms were flailing all over the place) Angelina. I walked over and stood in front of the two.

"What's up?" I asked, looking at Alicia as Angelina was too busy trying to take an eye out to say anything.

"Did you hear?" Alicia asked in a hushed voice, a voice that kills the mood of any party.

"About what?" I whispered as well.

"Chloe and Fred," Alicia said so quietly I could barely hear her. I saw Angelina who was glaring off into space.

"Yeah, I did. Is Ang…jealous?" I whispered to Alicia so that Angelina wouldn't hear.

"Oh yeah," Alicia said with a sigh.

"Ang," I said, turning to my friend who was now attempting the rip apart the pillow that she was holding. "I thought you were over Fred by seventh year."

"So did I," she growled.

This was _not _good.

A/n: Alright, I know, I know. I'm a bad little author. I said by Wednesday and it's not Wednesday. It's not even before Wednesday. I'm guilty of lying. I'm so sorry. I've been so busy, I have this English research project that I still need to finish but I finally found time to finish this chapter. It's longer than normal, so I hope you liked long. A very special thanks to JainaZekk621, for as of right now being my only reviewer. Come on guys, review. I really hate to beg but 2 reviews is pathetic.

Anyway, I don't know when I'll have the next chapter up by. It'll probably be next weekend or a little after. I've got my Spanish speaking on Wednesday and an AP exam on Thursday and then big plans for the weekend. But I'll work on it.

Review! It's just a click away. Thanks for reading, guys. :D

-Siriusly Klutzy


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

**Disclaimer: I own nada. It belongs to Jo.**

"Katie!" someone shouted, smacking me in the head. I glanced over at my clock to see that it was seven thirty on Saturday morning. "Are you up? God, Mum's right. You sleep like a bloody log!" Why does she always have to wake me up with abuse? Doesn't she understand that I'm young and need my sleep?

"What the hell?" I sat up, blurry eyed to barely see Amy sitting on the end of my bed, holding up a rolled up magazine. The pictures on the front looked disgruntled that their face was being bent in a weird position, though thankfully they couldn't talk. If they could they'd probably be going at my sister like a wild pair of kangaroo's. Or dingoes. Something dangerous like that.

"Did you hear?" What?

"No, but I hear ringing in my ears," I said to Amy with a glare. "Thanks to you. Why are you waking me up so early on a _Saturday_ morning?" I flung my pillow over my head and forced my eyes shut. "It's completely insane. If the situation were reversed you'd jinx me into next year."

"Sorry," she said with a grin. "I have practice in half an hour. But did you see?" She thrust the magazine open and threw it at me. I looked up to see what was going on and it landed on my face and it was tempting to just leave it there. The light was blocked out completely and if I tried hard enough I bet I could just completely zone Amy out. "Katie! Look at it!" Nice try, Katie.

"_Fine_," I grumbled. I took the magazine off of my face and looked at the cover. On it was none other than Oliver Wood staring dreamy-eyed into the eyes of Maryanne Ferguson. I can honestly say that I was not expecting that. And it was just so weird so see my Quidditch captain staring "dreamy-eyed" into the eyes of someone. There was a carelessly drawn heart around them and in big bold letters, some of them mirrored, it said _The Quibbler_. "_The Quibbler_?" I asked, skeptical. This was related to me how?

"You know that it's much more reliable since they had that Harry Potter story in it from your fifth year, you twit," Amy said, plopping down next to me on my bed. How is this girl a morning person? Dad would have _killed_ her if he ever knew. He always needed at least two cups of coffee before we were even aloud in the same room as him, let alone to have a logical conversation with him. I would say she got it from Mum, but she's still in bed. Amy's just the black sheep.

"What about it?" I asked, not all that concerned. I really just wanted to sleep. Really badly.

"Oliver Wood!" she said like I was completely mental, which I was at that hour in the morning.

"Oliver Wood…?" I do not comprehend.

"The guy you were dying to see when I brought you to my match?" Amy said. She rolled her eyes at me. "Come on, Katie. Think. I've got to leave soon!" She looked across to my clock and started tapping her foot.

"What about Oliver Wood?"

"The guy you want to _marry_…"

"_What_?!" Huh. I still do not comprehend.

Now _that _obviously came out of nowhere. I sure as hell wasn't expecting it.

"What what?" She raised an eyebrow.

Sometimes she can be really dumb. Book smart and Quidditch smart but boy can she lack common sense.

"_Me_?! Marry Oliver _Wood_?" She _has _to be insane. If I had enough energy I would have checked to see if she had a fever but I was just too damn tired.

"Katie, it's very obvious you think he's a God," she said matter-of-factly.

"He's a babe! So what?" I rolled over and out of my bed to march in front of her and look her in the eye. Okay, I didn't do that. But I glared at her from my bed.

"Don't you want to see him again?" she asked wickedly. "I could get you a ticket to his game. "Bring one of your friends. They'd be glad to see him." They would be.

And I hate to say it, but my stomach did a little flop before I opened my mouth. "_No_! I'm not going to another one of his games! It'd be creepy."

Amy rolled her eyes again. "It's a Quidditch match! What's creepy about that?"

"A-but I…don't know," I said with a sigh. "But I'm not going. I've got too much to do already."

"Fine, but listen kid, I've got to go. I'll see you later, okay?" She walked over and gave me a hug and then walked out of my room leaving me to flop backwards in my bed and try to figure out what Oliver could possibly see in Maryanne Ferguson.

-----

When I got to work, George was sitting on the floor in front of the front counter shooting glances between one side of the shop to the other.

"What's up?" I asked as I slid down next to him. "Are you afraid that the windows are going to join forces and close in on you?"

He shot me a look and then one to the left. "Not until now, thanks." Now to the right. "It's Fred-" to the left- "and Chloe-" another to the right. "They're acting all… self-conscious."

I took a chance to glance at Chloe and found her fixing her short choppy brown hair with the reflection in the mirror. Then I looked over to Fred who was smoothing out the sleeves of his shirt. "Weird," I commented, before looking back to George.

"And all last night he was going on about how great she was." He lowered his voice to a whisper. "If they get serious, I don't know _what _I'll do. Remember how he was when he was hung up on Angelina in school?" I nodded. "I can guarantee you that this could get ten times worse."

I sighed and leaned my head against the counter.

"So this is bad?" I asked, gaining a raised eyebrow from George. "Right. Of course it's bad." I stared for a second. "You know, Angelina wasn't happy when she found out. At the party-" he cringed- "she had a near anxiety attack when she found out. Oh you can't still be mad about the decorations!"

He ignored my last comment. "Was she?" I nodded. "Well, my dear Katie lets let the pieces fall as they may." He hopped up and extended a hand. I accepted and he pulled me onto my feet. I don't remember drama being like this. Not even in Hogwarts.

"And if someone gets hurt?" I asked, an eyebrow raised.

"We fire Fred." He grinned and I laughed.

"So what's going on in the wonderful world of George Weasley?" I asked. Now _I_ was looking in between Fred and Chloe. It's like eating a potato chip. Once you pop, the fun don't stop. Well, you get what I mean.

"Nothing fantastic," George replied nonchalantly.

"Well, you're boring."

"I am _not_. I'm just not interesting today."

"Oh."

And that's when the conversation died. I went to the back of the store to stock Drunken Socks (_Put them on your feet and it'll be like you just drank eight bottles of firewhiskey! A GREAT gift for the parents!_). They were new and we were releasing them in two days.

-----

When I got back to the house later that night, I found Amy waiting for me impatiently on the living room couch. She had her legs crossed, one foot tapping uncontrollably. She was fidgeting from left to right and the sleeves to her shirt were twisted around. The couch cushion had an indent in it on the left and right of her, showing how much she moved, and the pillows were all crooked.

"What have you been doing?" I asked. I shut the door quietly behind me.

Amy jumped up off the couch and ran over to me. "Come sit down. I've got news for you!"

"What kind of news? Is it about you and David?" I asked, rolling my eyes. I love my sister. I really do. But if I hear one more rant about how good of a kisser he is I might have to gouge her eyes out with a spoon.

"No. It's about _you_."

"Me?"

"Well, not _directly_ about you. Guess who I talked to today?"

"Who?"

"Guess!"

"I don't know."

"Come on, guess."

"The Pope?"

"Don't be ridiculous! I'm trying to tell you something here!"

"Just tell me then!"

Gosh.

"Maryanne!"

"And I'm supposed to be surprised by this? You two _are _on the same Quidditch team."

"About her and Oliver! You're slow today, Katie."

"Funny. Her and Oliver? What about her and Oliver?" I looked over at her, suddenly more interested than I should be.

"Oh," Amy said casually. "She was just telling me about how involved they are." There was a singsong tone in her voice.

"Oh?"

"And she would _not _stop talking about how fantastic he is. And how sexy his accent is. And how nice his abs is. And how soft his hair is. And how much his eyes-"

"Shush!" I said, rolling my own eyes. "So what?"

"What? You don't like him?"

"Of course I _like _him. But not like that. Not only is he my old Quidditch captain, he's also a Quidditch star. And you know how it is. Even if I _did _like him -which I don't, this is all hypothetical- he would only date Quidditch stars. I mean, look how you're all pairing off!"

"That's not true!" Amy protested.

"It is too true! There's you and David, Oliver and Maryanne. Who's it going to be next? Tulip and Kyle? That'd be laugh. She'd beat the hell out of him."

"We're not all pairing off! And anyway, Tulip's dating her brother's friend! But you know who's oddly jealous of this whole Oliver Maryanne situation?" Amy gossiped.

"Who?" She _is _more reliable than the tabloids.

"Chris."

"Caroli?"

"Mhmm."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Weird."

"Yeah."

There was silence for a few minutes.

"So what else did she say about her and Oliver?" It was just curiosity. And I'd rather hear it from a reliable source as apposed to a tabloid.

"She just said that they've been trying their best to avoid the tabloids so that they don't get a bunch of pictures of them going at it." She smirked.

"Gross! That's my Quidditch captain you're talking about!"

"Who happens to be gorgeous!"

"That's not the point!"

"Sure, Katie. Sure."

"Where's Mum?" I asked. I didn't really care, but normally she's home. It's not like her to be out and about.

"She's on a date," Amy replied, not looking me in the eye.

"_What_?!"

Now _that _was a shocker. Mum hasn't been out on a date since before her and Dad got married. And it's been five years since he died. Why does she decide _now _that she needs to go on a date? I honestly didn't think she ever would again and that she'd keep worshipping the shrine of pictures of him that are on her bureau. There's at least her and it's a variety of just him, me and him, Amy and him, her and him, and a combination of all of us together.

"Yeah," Amy said. She frowned. "I didn't catch his name but I saw a glimpse of him at the door when he came to pick her up. A muggle. He has a goatee and an _earring_. I honestly don't know what Mum's thinking." She shook her head. "Her first date in years and he's completely insane."

"Maybe it's a midlife crisis," I offered. "Mum's on a _date_. This is too weird. I think I need coffee. Or sleep."

Amy nodded. "I told her it was weird when she was looking for something to wear."

"What'd she end up choosing?" I asked. Please, oh please let it be something conservative.

"A long red dress with pearls. It looks really pretty on her," Amy commented.

"The clingy red dress?" I asked, shocked. The only red dress I remember of my mum's is one that she wore when I was six for Halloween. She was only around thirty I think. She's a young mum. But the top is super low cut. It was… different.

"No, not the clingy dress. It was one of her Mum dresses. Apparently they were going to some fancy muggle restaurant and she wanted to look nice," Amy said with a shrug.

"This is too weird."

----

"You've got the day off today, Katie," George said to me when I walked into work three minutes late.

"What do you mean? I'm only three minutes late! You can't possibly fire me for three minutes!" I complained. Hey, it was still early in the morning and I didn't have my usual intake of caffeine.

"You have the day of! You're not _fired_! Alicia and Angelina want to spend the day with you and they shrunk my shoes because at first I said no because I didn't want to be left alone with the love birds." He held up his feet, which were only wearing socks. "So I _had _to agree to let them kidnap you today or else I wouldn't get my shoes back."

"Don't you have more pairs of shoes?"

"Of course. I just like those the best."

"I thought your favorite ones were the autographed by Victor Krum ones…"

"Well don't tell them that! They've just been shrunken!" He lowered his voice to a whisper. "How do you think that makes them feel?"

I just shook my head. "So when am I getting out of this joint?"

"In half an hour. So until then, get to work, kid." He grinned and tossed me a clipboard. I grinned and looked down. There was no paper, no nothing on this clipboard.

"George! What do I do with this?" I asked, walking behind him quickly like a little intern.

"Smack some sense into my brother, please," he replied. I could tell by his tone that he rolled his eyes.

"Gladly."

I walked over to Fred and was raising my arm to swing (not hard, mind you, but more like a tap) when he turned around, a huge grin plastered on his face.

"KATIE!" he bellowed. I screamed in shock. "Did I scare you?" He laughed.

"Jesus!"

"Sorry. What are you doing with that clipboard?"

"Nothing!" I squeaked. I quickly and stealthily slipped it behind my back. "Just came to talk to you. I have the day off today."

"You do?" he asked shocked. "I forget people can take the day off. As a matter of fact, I don't think any of us has ever done that. Bizarre. I know Chloe hasn't. And George never has…"

"Oh, well then. I should get a plaque or something."

"Yes, well, we'll look into it." He winked. "So what are you doing today?"

An old woman walked into the store. She was short and wearing a purple poncho and a long flared green skirt that went down to her shoes. She first saw Chloe and walked directly over to her. I turned back to Fred.

"Alicia and Angelina are kidnapping me," I said simply, my hands in my pockets.

"Ah yes, kidnapping," he said wisely. "I've been kidnapped by them. Once was last year by Alicia to find out what to get George for his –our- birthday. And once by Angelina for a rampage in a broom closet." His ears went red as he grinned. "Then once by both of them together after the Yule ball because they wanted _pictures_." He shook his head. "You three can be such girls some times."

"Well that _does_ happen. Just ask Mark," I said with a grin. Fred almost snapped his neck when he turned to look at me. "He did call me very much of a girl the other night." I laughed, a mischievous little grin on my face. Torturing people who protect me just makes life worth living.

"_Katie_!" he said, astounded. "Are you _insane_? You're only eighteen!" Whoops. Didn't mean to make him freak out like that. Not that I was expecting it. Fred isn't a freaker outer. Apparently he cares about if I get knocked up or not.

"Fred! Do I even _know_ a Mark?" I asked, trying so hard not to laugh and failing miserably.

"Well apparently you know a Mark very well!" he shouted at me.

"I was _kidding_! Jeez, and you were the one going on and on about your rampages in a broom closet!" I said, still laughing as Fred looked at me horrified. But he wasn't looking directly at me. Of course he wasn't. He was looking just over my shoulder.

I spun around.

"Um, Fred," Chloe said uncertainly, he arm linked with the purple ponchoed lady. "This is my Grandma Gwen."

My face went redder than red as did Fred's.

"Grandma Gwen!" He regained dignity faster than I did. "How _are _you? Could I interest you in some 'bubble gum'? Give it to old Grandpa Pat and his nose will blow bubbles!"

"Fred! Stop trying to sell stuff to my grandmother!" Chloe cried, looking at him. He grinned and held out his hand.

"You taking care of my granddaughter?" she asked, looking him deathly in the eye.

He recoiled a bit. "Yes ma'am, I am." She held his hand in both of hers and patted the top of it.

"That's a good boy. Now give me a hug." Fred looked confused for a second but he gave Grandma Gwen a hug. She rubbed his back. "I like this boy," she said to Chloe when Fred pulled back. "He's a strong one. Nice back, he has."

Chloe grinned. "Yeah, I think I like him too." I rolled my eyes at the cute moment and walked over to George.

"George," I sighed, looking up at him. "You're brother sucks." It's not fair that Fred, _Fred_, has someone and I don't. This hadn't even occurred to me until now about relationships outside of Hogwarts. Well, of course, when Amy was convinced that I was going to marry Oliver Wood, but that's a completely different thing.

"Tell me about it. Percy's been driving us crazy for years though. That one time in, I think it was my fifth year or summer before, when we tried to lock him in a pyramid in Egypt I still don't understand why Mum wouldn't let us. It might have been menopause messing up her mind; I'm not quite sure. Dad was close though, believe me."

"Not him!" I laughed. "Fred."

"Why?"

"Because he's got a girlfriend."

"Would you like one too, Katie?" George asked, a smile on his face.

"Pig," I said, picking up a stray paper and throwing it at his head. "No, you know what I mean."

"Do you want me to pity you?" George asked, confused. He wasn't the best person in touch with his feminine side. I should just talk to Angelina and Alicia about this later. Though, I can't because they'd asked why I thought this and I'd have to talk about Fred and Chloe in front of Angelina. She might kill me if I do that. And I would feel bad.

"No, I just want…I don't know _what _it is I want. Okay, I want someone."

"Katie," George cooed. "Do you want me to be your boyfriend?" He stuck his tongue out at me.

"Gross, no. Alicia wouldn't like that," I grinned. "Got any friends that are babes?"

He pondered for a moment. "Lee Jordan!"

"Ack, no!" I said, recalling a very awkward memory of me, Lee Jordan, and his first kiss. But we don't like to talk about that.

"Fred?"

I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Right. Um, can't your sister get you some Quidditch hunk?" he asked, wincing as he said it.

"Yeah, right. She's convinced I'm going to marry Oliver Wood."

George started to laugh loudly.

"Nice, really nice," I said, rolling my eyes but laughing at the same time.

"That's priceless!" George said, wiping away an imaginary tear. "Your kids would be mutants!"

"Hey!" I shouted, glaring at him.

"Katie, think about it." He slung an arm around my shoulder. "Little Scottish Quidditch obsessed klutzy Nazis."

"Huh…" I said, looking off into the distance. "You have a point."

"I know I do," he said, still laughing.

"Okay, shush now." He kept laughing. "George!"

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm done. I'm done."

"Obnoxious," I muttered. He just grinned.

The bell on the door jingled and Angelina walked in with Alicia at her side. "Katie Bell?" she called through the shop. "Where are you?"

"Over here!" I called, jogging in between shelves to meet up with her and Alicia. "Hi, guys. Nice of you to tell me you were kidnapping me today." I grinned.

"You like surprises," Alicia shrugged. "Anyway, we're off. We'll see you lot later!"

Alicia took my hand and dragged me out of the shop and we were at least ten paces behind Angelina who slipped out without notice. She was walking briskly and from the looks of it, staring straight ahead.

"What's up with her?" I asked, tearing my arm away and catching in step with Alicia.

"What do you think?" She rolled her eyes.

"Her owl didn't die, did it?" I asked, horrified, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk.

"Of course not! She's upset about Fred and Chloe. Gosh Katie!" She laughed at my ridiculousness and continued walking. "Do you get it?"

"So Mercutio is still alive?" Mercutio is her owl. She read _Romeo and Juliet _once in third year and became absolutely obsessed with Mercutio. She never ever fell for the main characters in books and it annoyed Alicia and I, who always loved the hero, to no end. We couldn't figure Angelina out at all.

"Yes, Mercutio is still alive!" She sped up the pace to keep up with Angelina. "Why do you think she fled out of there so quickly?"

"I didn't even notice to be honest with you."

"Oh, well what do you think this day was about?"

"Hey! I thought it was because you wanted to spend the day with me." I grinned, looking as innocent as can be.

"Do you think living with you for six years hasn't made that innocent act ineffective?" Alicia asked with a laugh.

"Hey, obviously you don't love me. If you did you would have told me about you and George," I grumbled, crossing my arms.

"Katie, shush. It was an innocent mistake."

"'Don't tell the minor,'" I whined, imitating Alicia's voice badly. "'She'll never know.'" I jogged up to Angelina. "Good friend."

"What?"

"Never mind. So why'd you run off so quickly?"

"This is what lunch is for." She turned into a mini restaurant. I took a sharp turn and caught up with her. Not before long, Alicia was at my side.

Angelina already had a table reserved and our preferred drinks were there. I was impressed, as I've never heard of this place in my life. She was already sitting down when we met up with her. I've never seen her walk that fast in my life.

"God, walk fast enough?" I asked, sitting down to her left.

She just shrugged.

"Now tell us what's wrong," Alicia encouraged.

"Chloe? _Chloe_?" Angelina spat out, not making eye contact with either of us but glaring at an unexciting spot just in the middle of us.

"Chloe?" I repeated.

"Why _Chloe_? Isn't there something against dating coworkers?" she asked, looking at Alicia like she would know all the answers.

"I don't think so," I replied, being the one who worked there. "Though George did threaten me with sexual harassment charges. Or was it Fred? It was one of them. So I'm not sure."

Alicia glared at me.

"I just hugged him!" I said defensively.

"I don't understand though! Why Chloe? It's my personality. It sucks, doesn't it?"

I've never seen here this unconfident before. She's normally the one boasting around about a job she just landed or a guy who asked her out. Never in my life have I seen her this out of it, lacking so much self-esteem. It's horrible. Her face was flushed with anger and her fists were in balls. She looked so…so depressed.

"Ang?" I asked softly. "Are you okay?"

She just looked up at my, confused like she was wondering what the hell I was doing here while she was wallowing in self-pity.

"You're _much _prettier than her," Alicia reassured her. "With a great personality. _And _you like Quidditch. Fred is just going through a phase. Don't worry. He's a man. He doesn't know _what _he's doing."

"Yeah," I agreed. "Boys are stupid."

Angelina smiled. "I still don't understand it. He's nineteen! She's twenty-four. How does that work?"

"He's a man?" I asked, looking at her. It was obvious. Any man would take an older girl compared to someone they've known for years. Except for the nice ones. But we don't see many of those any more. And I wasn't about to say that to Angelina.

By the time lunch was over, Angelina had ranted for an hour. She was one of the types of people who, when something annoyed her, she wouldn't shut up about it. At around seven thirty I managed to escape with the excuse that my mom was home alone because Amy had a date, which was a lie because she just recently had a date with David the other night. But honestly, and I know this might sound horribly, if I hear any more about how gorgeous Fred is (gag) or how funny he is (we all know him _and _George are funny) I think I might have imploded. Because there are just some things you don't want to know about your friends.

When I got home, it was like in one of those movies where the teenager gets home late and comes to find her parental units standing in the dark living room and flicking the light on right when she thinks she made it in without being caught. The only different thing here was that my mom had the lights on and she was sitting on the chair with her arms crossed. Oh, and I wasn't trying to sneak in. I was merely casually walking in and jumping about forty feet in the air when I saw her sitting there.

"Merlin, Mum! You scared the hell out of me!" She glared at my vernacular.

"Where have you been?" she asked, not in so much of a suspicious voice as a creepy one.

"Um, I took the day off to spend some time with Angelina and Alicia. Angelina's been going through some problems and she needed a girls day out." There was no way I was going to explain why to my _mother_. That's what Amy is for.

"Really?" Now she was suspicious. "I called the bookstore Katie. They said they had no idea where you were. Actually, they don't know who you are." I started panicking.

"Was it a guy or a girl on the phone?" I asked, holding onto the lamppost thing next to me so that I wouldn't topple over. That'd just be a little suspicious. And not to mention bad. She'd probably think I was toppling in drunk. That I didn't really have a job. That I was just a slacker and that I'd be living off of her for the rest of my life.

Yeah right.

"A man. Why?" She raised a think black eyebrow at me. Frightening? You bet.

_Think of a name, Katie. Think of a name._ "That was um, Bruce. He likes to pretend he doesn't know me. Thinks that I'm an embarrassment actually." Bruce? What the hell? She doesn't know who Bruce is, right?

"Bruce? Bruce Whiskey?" Mum asked me, a smile going on her face.

"No, no, not him. Another Bruce. I don't know his last name. I ignore him as much as possible." This was a horrible, horrible lie.

"Well, that's not nice, Katie. I think you should apologize to him." Go figure.

"I'll get right on that, Mum. I'm going to go up to bed now. I'm exhausted." Before she could call me back down, I dashed up the stairs and into my room, locking the door behind me.

That was close. I think she may possibly be getting suspicious of my job. At least I'm not a stripper or something. I think _then _she might just be a little more than disappointed. Though I bet I'd get good tips or something.

**A/n: Alright, throw the fruit and the nasty vegetables. I'm **_**so **_**sorry that I haven't updated. It's the end of the school year so I've been swamped with review classes, homework, finals and all that stuff. I've got three next week so there might be another delay and I wont have time to write this weekend (my birthday) because I'm going to this concert and I have the Relay for Life so I'll be completely swamped. But fear not, for I will update soon.**

**I'm glad to see that more reviews are coming and that more people are reading and liking this story. I like it for the most part. I just feel horrible that I have no time to write. But don't worry, this summer should be full of updates.**

**Review and I hope you liked the chapter!!**

**-Siriusly Klutzy**


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or places you recognize. If you don't recognize it and go to check it and there's no proof, then assume its mine. But otherwise, the majority belongs to the ever amazing JK Rowling.

When I got to work a few days after my lunch with Angelina, I saw that Chloe wasn't there. George was walking around with his hands in his pockets. And Fred was ready to great me at the door. All in all a very peculiar morning.

"You know what I think?" he asked with a grin.

"I didn't even know you thought. So no, what do you think?"

"I think that we need to spend more time together," he propositioned.

"What? Why?"

"What do you _mean _why?"

"Well I wasn't expecting it. Especially this early in the morning. Is it reconnecting with Katie week or something?"

"No. I don't know. I wanted to talk to you about Chloe."

"Oh no. I want nothing to do with this. Just call me Australia."

"Australia?"

"When did you ever see them in a world war?"

"Fair point."

"Right."

"Right."

"Right, so this is awkward."

"Since when have we ever had awkward conversations?"

"Since you fell in love?" I sang.

"I did _not _fall in love."

"Now you're _lying _to me?"

"Yes. Yes I am."

"Fred!"

"What?"

I rolled my eyes at him.

"I'm going to get to work." I spun around to take my place at the counter (I was on cash register duty for the week) and I collided right into George. He fumbled with something in the air for a second before snatching it back and stuffing it into his pocket. I looked up at him and raised an eyebrow.

"What was that?" I asked.

"Nothing, nothing."

"George?"

"Nothing." He smirked. "So Katie."

"So George."

"Right."

"Right."

"Why is today so awkward?" I shouted. No one answered me so I continued. "So what did you almost drop?"

"A box."

"And what was in said box?"

"I can't tell you."

I scoffed. "And why not?"

"I just can't. You'll find out sooner or later."

"But, George, you're pretty much my best friend."

"Could have fooled me."

"Funny."

I looked at him for a minute, a death glare in my eye. He didn't flinch or cower so I continued to go back to the register. Once I got there, the stupid clock chimed that it was nine o'clock.

"What the bloody hell is that?" one of the little men said.

"What do you mean 'what the bloody hell is that?' What do you think it is? It's the bloody clock, you twit!" the other little man said.

"I know it's the bloody clock. But what's it doing chiming at this hour?" the first one asked.

"Well, why don't you ask it?"

"Why don't you?"

"I don't want to!"

"I think you should!"

"You live in the bloody thing!"

"Why I oughta!"

They started wrestling around for a bit before I ignored them and turned to the cash register. I happened to glance out the window to see a very familiar looking person walking by the shop. Without a second thought, I ducked under the counter. Slowly, I looked over the edge of the counter. My Mum was staring sternly at the sign in the window. I ducked back down.

"This is _not _good," I said, going as close to inside the counter as I could. If I moved stuff around, I probably could have fit in there, but that wasn't going to happen. I was not about to attract attention to myself.

"What is not good?"

I screamed.

"Jesus, Fred!" I whispered, clutching the top of my head, which I bashed when he scared the hell out of me.

"What's not good?" he repeated.

"My _mum _is right outside the shop! What is she doing here?" I whispered, panic all across my face.

"That's your Mum?" Fred asked, astonished. He peered over the edge of the counter to get a better look.

"_Yes_! She doesn't know I work here! This is_ not _good." Breathe, Katie. Breathe in through the nose, out through the mouth. In. Out. In. Out.

The bell to the shop jingled.

"Katie?" a voice called out to me, scaring me out of my skin.

With a sigh of relief, I relaxed. It was just Chloe. "Yeah?" I called back quietly not exactly sure if she could hear me and not willing to give up my hiding spot on the ground.

"A woman out there is looking for you. She claims to be your mum," Chloe said. I almost started hyperventilating. Sweet innocent Chloe has no idea what she had just done.

"And did you tell her that I was in here?" I asked, though the only person that could possibly hear me would be Fred.

"Katie?"

"Yeah?"

"I think she wants you to go out there?"

Slowly but carefully, I stood up. At first, when I saw her hard gaze meet my terrified one I cringed. I tried to straighten my back and walk out there with dignity but what I looked like was a puppy that needed to piddle.

"Katie," my mother growled in disappointment.

"Yes, Mum?" I asked. My hands were folded together as I looked down at my feet. If I looked innocent, maybe she won't feed me to the neighbor's dog, a poodle. A poodle that they dyed _baby blue_. A baby blue poodle. When Amy was little she thought it was cotton candy. They dye the poor thing once every three months.

"This does _not _look like a book shop, Katie," she said, her voice icy.

"Really, Mrs. Bell. I think it looks very much like a book shop." George appeared out of nowhere behind me. "As you can see in our window display, there's books on thousands of different spells and charms. And even potions." He nodded with enthusiasm.

"This was _not _the bookshop you said you worked in. This, in fact, is a _joke _shop," she said now glaring at George. Just look away, George. Just look away. He didn't hold her gaze for long before looking back at the shop.

"Yeah, I know but if you knew I worked here you'd have a cow and I-"

"You're damn right I'd have a cow. You're not supposed to take after your sister! You're supposed to do something _reasonable _with your life!"

"What do you mean reasonable? This is a steady job! Have you seen the gold these two make in a week?"

Flustered, my mother crossed her arms and stood her ground. "You're on restriction!"

"Restriction?" I asked, shocked. This woman is insane! "For getting myself a steady job- at the age of eighteen, mind you!- on my own?"

"For getting an _irresponsible_ job! Why not a desk job?" I bet if we weren't in public, she'd be holding her hair in her fists.

"She works at the counter sometimes," George perked in.

"Shut up, George," I said, closing my eyes and counting to ten. But that never ever works.

"The counter? The _counter_? That's worse than working as an assistant in a cubicle! You could have risen to be the head of an office!"

"But I don't want to be head of an office! I want to work in a joke shop! With my friends!"

"Just like your sister, you are! Irresponsible. Not planning ahead. I should just be glad you didn't run off with a musician or a _Quidditch _player!" she said.

My stomach dropped as she said that. "Mum, wait-" But she had already apparated off. My arm hung limply in the air from where I tried to grab her arm so she wouldn't leave.

"You don't think she knows about Amy and David, do you?" I asked George, not turning to face him. My voice was soft, pathetic. If she found out about Amy, I don't know _what _I'll do. What would she do? Oh, God. If only Dad were here. He'd knock some sense into Mum. Hell, he would have found Amy dating a Quidditch player like David fantastic and the fact that I was working in a Quidditch shop making tons of money, amazing. Why can't Mum and me see eye to eye?

"I don't know," George said. I turned to face him only to find that he was grinning. "You're Mum's a feisty woman, isn't she?"

"Feisty?" I asked in disbelief. "Try neurotic."

We walked back into the shop, George still chucking.

"And she put you on restriction," he snickered.

"Shove off."

"Who's on restriction?" Fred asked, appearing at my left.

"Katie's Mum put her on restriction."

"Shove off," I said again, but grinned.

"Mind of a lion, that one," Fred said.

"Heart of a sparrow," George continued, his hands to his heart as he dreamily stared off into space. Fred and I looked at him for a second before laughing.

"Oh the time's when we used to be on restriction. Remember those days, George?" Fred asked faintly, going off into one of his own little memory.

"Ah yes. We'd get locked in separate broom cupboards-"

"-and use Ron as a messenger-"

"-but the prat would always mess up the messages-"

"-and then Mum would find out-"

"-because he'd tell her that we'd have a pet cat by the pond-"

"-instead of finding a rat that looked blond."

They both rolled their eyes.

"I can't believe she did that though. I'm _eighteen_. She can't put an eighteen year old on restriction!" I complained.

"You're Mum put you on _restriction_?" I heard Chloe ask from the other side of the shop in disbelief. "What for?" News travels fast.

"For having an 'irresponsible' job. Her word not mine," I said with a sigh. "This is ridiculous."

"Sounds it."

It's times like these when I think I need my own place. I mean, Fred and George have their flat over the shop. Chloe's got her flat in muggle London. Both Alicia and Angelina have their own places. Why can't I get my own flat? I really should start looking into that.

After about an hour of working, there was a tap on the window. I walked over to the door to fetch the owl (why it didn't go through the owl hatch, I don't know). It immediately hopped on my head and started pecking it, like a woodpecker. Which is obnoxious. I snatched the letter from its beak and gave it one of the crackers we keep behind the counter, for the owls or us.

I saw my sister's big loopy writing on the front. _Katie Bell_, it said with a stick figure next to my name with a huge smile on its face. I grinned to myself and tore open the letter.

_Dear Katie,_

_I know this might be somewhat of a disappointment to you, but I've got some news. Remember, when we were little and we had our weddings planned out. You'd be my maid of honor and I'd be yours. My bridesmaid dresses would be violet, while yours would be green. You'd have the big poofy one with lots of lace _(**I was four, sue me**) _and mine would have a veil from here to mars._

_Mum would always come in and tell us to stop playing pretend and to help her with the dishes but once we'd finish, we'd go right back to playing. You wanted to marry Ernie MacRen. Do you remember him? The nerdy little kid who lived next door to Aunt Fay? I wanted to marry Harold Grant, the boy we met at the park that one time. Do you remember him?_

_But I've learned that make pretend isn't always as fun as the real thing. Do you know _why _Katie?_

_Because I eloped. Well, David and I just eloped. I know what you're thinking. 'She's only known him for a few weeks! What is she doing?' But, to be honest Katie, I've never ever felt this way._

_Right now we're in Peru. We left this morning while you and Mum were asleep (she doesn't know yet) and we'll be back tomorrow morning. No one will be the wiser. Sure, I'll tell Mum eventually and we can have a fake ceremony or something then but for now, I'm married and you have an international Quidditch star for a sister _and _a brother-in-law._

_Don't worry; I had this gut feeling that what I was doing was right. But I've got to go, David is calling and we're going to go site seeing._

_Love you. See you soon._

_-Amy_

_P.s. David says hello and he said to tell you we saved you a piece of cake._

It took me about half a minute before I could breathe again. The shock died down a bit and I realized that there were tears streaming down my face. I saw my reflection in the window and saw a goofy grin and wet cheeks. I was crying from _happiness_. My sister is _married_. I had an international Quidditch star for a brother. Someone both my dorm mates and I dreamt about for years.

Of course, I wasn't invited, but I can't think of that right now. They did, however, save me cake, for which I was grateful.

"Katie?" I heard an astonished Chloe say from behind me. "Katie, are you crying?"

I nodded, not able to find my voice.

My sister, my best friend, got married! I have a brother-in-law. And I could possibly be an aunt soon! Auntie Katie. Aunt Kat. Little nephew Roger or niece Tabatha. Those were the names I chose for her kids when I was about five. She chose Thomas and Heather for mine.

"What's wrong?" she asked, snatching the letter out of my hand.

"Ernie MacRen?" Chloe asked in shock. She started to double over in laughter. I focused my eyes on her before wiping the joy tears away.

"What? What's so funny?" I asked, confused.

"Ernie MacRen." She gasped for breath. "He's…he's my _cousin_! You have a crush on my cousin?" Talk about ironic. I hate it sometimes when you never think you'll hear about something again and it horribly comes back to bite you in the butt. It's just… no.

"No he _isn't_!" I said with a sniffle, shocked. "He is _not _your cousin! I don't believe you!"

"He _is_! He's about seventeen now," Chloe said thoughtfully.

I groaned. "I was _four_!"

"That's a lie."

"I _was_!"

"I'm going to have to invite him over."

"I will kill you," I growled.

"Set you two up," she continued.

"Chloe, don't even…"

"And you'll go out on a date…"

"Oh, my God."

"And then you'll get married."

"_Chloe_…"

"And have a bunch of mini Ernie's."

"Gross!"

"And Katie's, of course."

"Oh, Jesus."

"And we'll be _cousins_!"

"Oh, my God, Chloe!"

"Who's going to be cousins?" Fred asked, walking into our conversation. They have a natural habit of coming in at the most random times.

Chloe flung an arm around my shoulder and said, "Katie and me of course!"

Fred had an amused smirk on her face. "How does that work?" he asked.

"She's going to marry my cousin Ernie! You've met him!"

"No, I met Frank. I've heard about Ernie, though. Amusing chap he is," Fred said.

"Was it Frank you met?" Chloe asked thoughtfully. My letter was still clutched in her right hand. I snatched it back and put it in my back pocket.

"Yes."

"Oh, well, I'm having Ernie come over soon to meet Katie so they can get married and we can be cousins. Is that okay with you?" Chloe asked Fred, her brown eyes big and innocent.

"Why sure," Fred said.

This started to gross me out so I turned to George who was walking out of the storage room.

"Hey, George. Guess what?" I said to him, cutting him off. I took the top box of his _Grow A 'Stache_ _(Put this on and you'll be a stallion!)_ and walked over to the shelf with the rest of the _Grow a 'Stache_'s.

"What?" he asked, his face turning red and his breathing getting a bit heavy from carrying the boxes.

"My sister just got married!"

"_What_?" George asked, almost dropping the box on my foot. "I thought she was dating that Quidditch guy."

"Not any more." I grinned. "They're _married_. They eloped this morning. How fantastic is that?"

"Why weren't you in it?" George asked.

"Because I was sleeping, obviously."

George rolled his eyes. "Why'd they elope, then?"

"I think because they didn't want my Mum to know, which is ridiculous because she's going to find out eventually, like when Amy gets pregnant. But maybe then she'll just be relieved that she _is _married and having kids as apposed to not."

"Traditionalist, then?" I nodded. "Fun."

"It makes it ten times worse that she's an international Quidditch player, as well," I added.

"Why?"

"My Mum is…one for desk jobs, if you didn't notice. She doesn't think women should be flying around on brooms or, for that matter, working at joke shops."

"Well, if you recall, our Mum wasn't all that fathomed about us opening a joke shop either."

"You also broke out of Hogwarts to do so," I reminded him.

"Only because of Umbridge. One more day with her and I would have blown up the place." I gave him a skeptical look. "Fred and I had quite a few unconventional plans brewing up that year." He quietly went back into a thoughtful memory.

It was quiet for a couple of seconds before, "Katie, if I do something completely ridiculous, you'd tell me, right?"

I looked him in the eye seeing that he was serious. "Yeah, of course." I glanced back down at the boxes I was putting on the shelf. "Why?"

"Because I think I'm going to do something completely ridiculous."

I looked up at him to see that he was fidgeting with something in his pocket. After glancing at the pocket, I looked back at him.

He pulled out a small, black velvet box and opened it revealing a medium but classy sized diamond on a silver band. My eyes went wide and my jaw dropped.

"Alicia?" I squealed, looking at him then back at the ring multiple times before I thought I might pass out.

George rolled his eyes. "No, this girl Trixy I met the other night while I was out." My eyes went wider. "Yes, Alicia, you imbecile."

"_When_?"

"Well, I was going to do it in a couple of days. I mean, we've been dating for a couple years now and frankly I love her."

As much as that made me want to puke, it was still cute. "Oh, George, you're growing up!" I said, hugging him around the neck. I released him and jumped up and down. "You're getting _married_. Who else knows?"

He grinned at me. I _did_ just give him my blessing of course. "Well, Fred obviously. He helped me pick out the ring." A few thoughts ran through my mind at that. _Fred? Picking out a ring? With _George_? It's bound to explode neon green paint during the wedding_. Those were just a few. "That's it. Just you, Fred, and me know for now."

"I'm honored. And excited! Do you think she'll say yes?" He visibly paled. "What am I saying? Of _course_ she'll say yes!" I felt a rush of adrenaline. "_Two _wedding announcements in one day. Oh bloody hell…" I sat on the floor.

"Two?" George asked, stuffing the ring back in his pocket before sitting down next to me.

"My sister eloped this morning," I murmured.

"Well, congratulations!"

"Thanks?" We both laughed nervously at the over whelming of today.

"What are you two doing down there?" Chloe asked as she appeared around the shelves. "Lazy. Come on, it's rush hour."

And indeed it was. Children looked like they were sprouting out of the walls.

When I got home that night, my mom was in hysterics trying to figure out where Amy was. Evidentally she went to wake Amy up just to see that she was gone.

"She wasn't here this morning and so I just assumed she had practice. That coach of hers works her too hard. She should have went into banking…" Banking, hospital work, ministry jobs… She's so _boring_.

"Mum, I'm sure Amy's _fine_. Why don't we go out for dinner tonight? That way you won't have to cook and we can relax."

"But where could she possibly be? I bet she's with an irresponsible boy! Not one that works at the Ministry, of course not! Why would she do what her mother says. Probably a joke shop owner. Or a door-to-door salesman. When I get my hands on him, keeping her out all day without telling her mother, I'll strangle him!"

I suppressed a laugh, knowing full well that not only was Amy with David, but she eloped and they probably did a lot more than what my mum was currently thinking about. "It's alright, Mum," I said, trying to reassure her. "If you want, I'll owl her right now. Why don't you go get dressed? I'll buy you dinner. We'll go somewhere fancy!"

Slowly she made her way upstairs, muttering to herself the whole way, to change her clothes. I found some parchment and scribbled a quick note to Amy.

_Amy,_

_Mum's in hysterics wondering where you are. You'd better get your ass back here soon and with a good excuse. She thinks you're with a door-to-door salesman. Have your excuse book ready. I'm taking her out to dinner now to cool her nerves. Hope you enjoyed yourself._

_-Katie_

_P.s. Tell David thanks for the cake._

Just two days later, Alicia came to visit us in the shop. George took her aside. Chloe was tending to a customer and Fred and I exchanged knowing looks. He confronted me about it while George was restocking. Slowing and sneakily, we walked to the shelf over from where George and Alicia were standing. We pushed _Grow Your Own Bogey Monster_ boxes over so that we could get a clear view of what was going on.

Alicia's back was to us and her head was cocked to the side. I grinned at Fred as George caught our eye. He seemed to be suppressing a grin as he got down on one knee. I squealed silently, but he was only tying his shoe. I was going to eat him for that later.

After the shoe was in a knot so tight, which I'm sure no one could get unknotted, even with magic, he stood up straight.

Chloe appeared in between Fred and I. She gave us a questioning look but we both shushed her and continued to peer through the peephole we made.

"Listen Alicia," George said. He had a cocky grin on his face and his hand in his pocket. "I know this may seem kind of sudden," I could see Alicia nodding as if she knew what he was talking about, "but you know I love you more than the world…" I motioned puking to Fred who grinned. Chloe gave me a weird look before we continued paying attention again.

"What are you trying to say?" Evidently she wasn't getting it. She was always book smart but she was one of those girls who lacked common sense.

George grinned. "What I'm trying to say…" He got down on one knee. It was so cute.

"George, you just tied your shoe." It took the concentration of all of us not to openly laugh right then and there. We stayed silent for George, but Alicia's going to be in for a ton of mockery once this is over with.

He laughed a bit and reached into his pocket. "I know. That's not why I'm down here. Alicia…" He opened the box and showed her the ring. "Alicia Abigail Spinnet, will you marry me?"

She stared at him for what seemed like an eternity before breaking out into a gigantic smile and screaming, "YES!" George jumped up with delight and hugged her, spinning her around.

Fred, Chloe, and I cat called and whistled. Alicia, after being released from George and putting the gorgeous ring on her ring finger, spun around to face us in shock.

"You _saw_ that?" We all nodded with excitement before rushing over to their isle and hugging each of them in turn.

"And you didn't even pass out," I said to George, ruffling his hair before I moved to Alicia. "You're going to be a _Weasley_!" I poked her shoulder. She groaned before looking at George who was being clapped on the back by Fred.

"I think it might be worth it," Alicia said, not taking her eyes off of him. Once again, sickly, but cute.

I hugged her and then looked around only to see that no less than twenty people were watching our bash. "Wave to those who just witnessed your engagement," I said to her, smiling at the crowd. Alicia turned a good shade of pink but waved all the same.

"Engagement party at my flat after work!" Chloe shouted to anyone who was listening. Alicia and George looked at her, confused. She shrugged. "Spontaneity isn't always bad."

The rest of the day went by fast, the party one huge blur. Chloe's flat was already stocked for any party, any time, with more than enough fire whiskey to feed four of Madame Maxines horses and sweets galore. A few people who were in the shop at the time actually showed up at Chloe's house bearing gifts. One woman brought her three year old who wrapped her arms around Alicia's legs and wouldn't let go. Alicia picked the little girl up and gave her a sweet before sending her off on her way.

"Chloe, I can't believe you did this!" Alicia said to Chloe while the three of us were in the kitchen.

"It's no problem. I needed to get rid of a lot of this stuff anyway." She laughed. "It's unhealthy." We grinned. Chloe turned to talk to some of the guests who were in the living room.

"Have you seen Angelina yet?" I asked Alicia. We both scoped the room but did not see our normally party girl friend. Though I wasn't absolutely positive that she would come, seeing as this party was at Chloe's house. But it was in her friends honor, and that should mean more than personal hate to another.

We both silently made our way to the dining room to see George's head completely in a bucket filled with water and apples. Alicia laughed and rolled her eyes. I made a crack about how she was the one marrying him before we noticed a dark figure in the corner.

Once we caught it's eye, we moved over and discovered Angelina sulking, though she quickly regrouped when she saw that I was with Alicia. Angelina hugged her like any normal day but didn't have the normal energetic spark in her eyes. They were dull and she wouldn't take her gaze off of Fred.

By the time I got home that night, it was well after midnight and Mum and Amy were both apparently asleep. I shut the door quietly, left my shoes on the mat, and made my way to my room. When I flipped the light switch on, I saw Amy fast asleep on my bed. Curious, I walked over her and prodded her with my finger.

She rolled over and focused on me. "Oh, you're home." She looked at the clock. "What bloody took you so long?" I rolled my eyes and walked over to my dresser to get a pair of pajama pants and a t-shirt.

"Sorry, Chloe threw Alicia and George an engagement party." I snapped my mouth shut quickly after I said this and didn't turn around to face her, but I could see in my mirror that she had a surly look on her face. Amy didn't get an engagement party or a bridal shower or a bachelorette party because she eloped and you just can't have those when its spontaneous like that.

Changing the subject, I continued. "What are you doing in here anyway?"

She stretched, yawned, and stood up. "I wanted to tell you that this Saturday, Ludo Bagman is hosting a party open to Quidditch players and their guests. I wanted to know if you wanted to go." There was a wicked glint in her eye. "Oliver Wood is rumored to be there. He wouldn't let old Bagman down by not showing up to his Quidditch party."

I have to admit, there was a flip flop in my stomach but it could have been all of the fire whiskey and pumpkin pasties I ate earlier. My face heated up and I knew I was a good crimson color but I didn't let her know. I kept staring into my dresser.

"Saturday you said?" I asked, finally turning around once I felt my face cool a couple hundred degrees. She nodded. Quickly I ran through my schedule in my head. "What time?" I wanted to get a new pair of jeans that day, pathetic excuse, I know. I could just do it on Sunday, but there was a sale in Hogsmade that day.

Amy thought quickly. "Probably around seven." That would give me enough time to get my jeans and still get ready.

"Alright, I'll go. It sounds like fun."

"And you don't want to miss out on your love," Amy added with a grin. I picked my pillow up off of the floor where it fell that morning when I woke up, and threw it at her. She dropped it on the floor and started walking out of the room. "Night Katie." I heard her laugh.

"Good night, Mrs. Kinsey." She turned around and smiled big. A question popped into my head. "Shouldn't you two be living together?"

She laughed. "We're working on that. Good night."

A/n: Alright folks. Here's chapter five. Sorry it took so long. We just moved and had to get everything settled and such. Then we started using a different hard drive and I needed to get all my stuff off of this one to that one. But then I broke that one so now we're using this one. I'm not good with computers, if you couldn't tell. Anyway, I hope you liked it. Review.

**Thanks for reading.**

**-Siriusly Klutzy**

**Oh, there might be a lag in writing because of the book (super-squee) and the movie (squee!). They're both wicked close and I'll need to see it, read it, and then give my self time to regroup because it's an ending legacy.**


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